Anything Could Happen
by Hurdy Gurdy Woman
Summary: With practically no skills at all and only a tad bit of knowledge in medicine, Lola ends up joining the Kid pirates. She'll try her hardest to aid her captain, Eustass Kid, even if she does end up causing more trouble than she's worth. Expect a lot of misadventures, random twists and turns, and awkward friendships. Starts at the beginning, when it was just Kid and Killer.
1. A Storm's Coming In

**Anything Could Happen| **1.1 – A Storm's Coming In

Snow crunched underfoot with every quick step she took. To say it was cold would merely be an understatement, but to say it was freezing would take things to the extremes. It was chilly, perfectly so for some. The snowflakes were far and few between, the winds just a tad bit rough, and the air nippy to the touch. A storm was coming in, if one could trust the weather reports, and Lola needed to finish her delivers as soon as possible.

Her hand quickly touched her messenger bag, feeling for the lumps made from the parcels inside. _They're still there, good,_ she thought to herself, smiling. _I hope this medicine will help those sick kids…_

She made a right when she hit the shoreline. The docks were old and creaky, but quite sturdy as she made her way across. They were made before her time and had seen many a boats, some belonging to the marines, some belonging to mere fishermen, and some…some belonging to pirates. She had never personally met or even seen pirates, but she heard tales and gossip of late. Some of the housewives liked to spread rumors of handsome men coming to town and taking them away to the seas. _Just silly stories…but…what if? _Glancing off into the waters, she frowned when she noticed the small boats bobbing. _The tides are already quite high…_

Shaking her head, Lola pushed away any thoughts that had nothing to do with delivering the doctor's packages. He relied on her to do such things due to his old age, but she was happy to help. In return, he would mentor her in the arts of medicine and basic medical care. She had hoped to follow in his footsteps one day.

When she reached her designated street, she hopped off the dock and back into the mushy snow. She smiled and kicked some aside, laughing when some landed near a pair of brown doves. They jumped back and gave her sideway glances, but continued to peck at the bits of grass that stuck out.

She cooed but they didn't pay her any attention.

The couple whom had ordered the medicine was waiting outside their house, shoveling snow away. She slowly opened the gate to their front yard and waved when they glanced up at her. "Good afternoon! I have a package for the Charles family."

The woman smiled. "Yes, that's us, thank you." She opened the door to the house and motioned for Lola to enter. "Please, come inside where it's warm."

"Thank you," Lola responded, walking in and taking in a deep breath of the smells that arose from the fireplace. The house was quite toasty and it smelt like cinnamon. She removed her scarf and flung it over her messenger bag. "How are they? The children I mean? The doctor said they caught a bad flu…"

"Oh, yes…" the woman answered slowly. "They're still sick; worst now due to the cold, but I'm hoping they're spring back to life with the medicine you've brought."

Lola opened her bag as the woman continued talking about the weather. She mentioned something about the storm but Lola wasn't quite listening completely. Handing her the parcel, she glanced over to the father and said, "You both should take care of yourselves as well. Don't want you two getting that flu."

"We've got our shots, thank you," the man said with a smile. "Just didn't get the children vaccinated in time."

"Vaccinations cost money is all," the mother tried to explain, clutching the parcel to her chest. "And money is tight these days…"

Lola arched her brows and frowned. "I didn't mean to pry but the doctor spoke about a shipment of vaccines coming in for this flu season that he plans on setting at a low price. It should be in within the next two weeks, and you should check in often so you can be one of the first to get them."

"Thank you," the man and woman both said, happily.

"And thank the doctor for us, will you?" the man asked.

"Of course," Lola quickly answered. She stood there, clutching the strap of her bag and cocked her head to the side. "If that's all…"

"Oh!" the woman said quickly. "Please don't go yet! You must be hungry and dinner is just about done."

Lola felt wrong about the offer. They were the poorer folk of the town and she didn't feel right about eating what food they had saved up to buy. "I couldn't impose…"

The woman sat the parcel down and pointed to her kitchen. "You wouldn't be! We have enough for another. Please, it's all we can offer for you coming all the way down here."

"Well…if you really want me to stay…" Lola placed her bag and scarf near the entrance and sent a small smile to the woman. "Yes, thank you. I will stay for dinner."

The woman grinned and the father laughed. "I'll take this up to the children and get them ready for supper," he said as he took the parcel.

That late afternoon, Lola dined on beef soup with onion, carrots, and sweet yellow peppers. It was a nice touch to the cold day and it warmed her throat up nicely. Although quite sick, the children seemed lively at the table, telling her stories of adventures they had at school.

She spent three hours there, long enough for the day light to dim and for dark clouds to roll in.

Picking up her items, Lola said her goodbyes and wished the children a healthy recovery. She winced once outside, where the cold had turned for the worst and the winds had picked up. _Even though the soup was yummy and the family kind, I regret staying as long as I did…I need to get back before the weather gets worst._

Tucking her hands under the armpits of her coat, she slowly treaded through the snow, keeping her head down to avoid snow whipping into her eyes. Her nose began to run by the time she made it back to the docks.

Glancing at the boats, she was horrified to see them thrashing about wildly. _The report was quite right about that storm…_

She quickened her pace, footsteps making loud thumps against the wood as she made her way across.

There were voices in the dark, somewhere out in the water where the boats were held.

"Hurry up! It's fucking cold out here!" one voice yelled.

"Don't scream," another ordered, quieter than the first. "I'm almost done…you know this isn't exactly the easiest to do in the dark."

"Whatever."

A huff followed afterword.

Lola slowed down to a stop and squinted. She could barely make out two figures standing near a boat. One was knelt over, fiddling around with what seemed to be a rope. The other stood off to the side.

"There, I tied it."

"Great. Let's go find an inn."

"We don't have any money, Kid…" The one knelt over was now standing up. They were walking forward and Lola blinked a few times before starting to move again. Her footsteps were loud.

"Somebody there?" one of the voices called out.

She stopped and frowned. It was dark and the storm was raging on. And she didn't know these men. "Yes?" she answered back. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?!" one snapped.

"Shut up," the other said. "We're looking for a place to stay." When they approached her, their appearance became clear. Two scruffy looking men, one a bit more built than the other. One, the quieter one, had a strange contraption covering his face.

_Is that a mask?_

"Would you happen to know the direction to an inn we can stay for the next few days?" the masked one asked. The man beside him gave her a deathly glare.

"Uhhh…" she slowly spoke. "Um, yeah, center of Main Street has a few motels."

The built one frowned. "Where is it?" he said, annoyed. His face seemed paled from the cold. The wind blew some of his hair over his face. He was quick to fix it though, with an angry expression.

Looking off towards their small boat, Lola arched a brow. _They're clearly not marines nor fishermen…but they don't look like pirates either…_ "Just follow me. I'm heading back there right now." With that, she turned and continued her hurried walk back to town. For a few moments, the two men didn't follow, but after a rather loud howl of wind, she heard their footsteps quickly catching up to her.

They were whispering. She couldn't hear what the masked man was saying but she could only guess by the loud reactions of the other.

"You thank her!" he had snapped from behind her. "I don't care if I am…I order you to thank her, since you're the one with your panties all tied up in a bunch."

The masked one approached Lola's side. She tucked her hands under her arms and glanced over at him.

"Thanks," he said before slowly returning to the side of his friend. He must have said something because the other snorted and laughed loudly. She ignored it.

"We're here!" she announced as she came to an abrupt stop. One of the men stumbled into her, causing her to fall face-first into the snow.

Loud laughter could be heard from one of them.

"Great job, Killer!"

"Shut up…"

She felt a hand grab her arm, tugging her back up. Snow covered her face and lingered in her mouth. She spat it out and rubbed the back of her hand across her nose. It stung a bit but no to any harm. "The motel is just right over there," she whimpered as she pointed to the left.

The redheaded man quickly pushed past her, hurriedly making his way to the building. The other gave cocked his head, mumbled a quick apology, and followed suit. Lola just stood there and tried to blow the snow out of her nose.

"You're welcome," she muttered to herself, frowning as she watched the men enter the motel. _Weirdoes_. Shaking her head, she took a small path right, which lead to the medical district of the town. Besides the small office building that was the doctor's clinic, a small hospital stood nearby for the critical patients. It was rather hectic at times there, especially during flu season, so Lola enjoyed just sticking to the simplicity of the doctor's office.

_Who were those guys?_

She quickly crossed the path and entered the building, pushing away all thoughts about those two men.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time: **Lola finds something at the doctor's office. The two strangers run into her again and the storm outside gets stronger.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey there! Thanks for reading this story. I wanna say that I'm not really ever going to go into a physical detail about what Lola looks like because I really want to leave that to the reader, so that each of you can have your own personal image to what her appearance is. I also would like to say that if any of you want to submit an OC of yours to be a member of the pirate crew, to please PM if interested! I think it would cool to do something like that and make it more identifiable to some of you guys.

Again, thanks!


	2. Staying the Night

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.2 – Staying the Night

"Where have you've been?" Doctor Riley asked when Lola entered the office. He was sitting at the clerk's desk, going over patient records. "It's been over three hours since you left!"

"I'm sorry," Lola responded, tossing her bag and scarf on a waiting chair. "The family that I delivered the medicine to insisted that I stay for dinner. I didn't want to be rude and refuse them." She sent the doctor an apologetic smile.

"Humph," the doctor responded. A moment of silence passed between them. "Fine, it's alright. I was worried…the weather outside is getting worst." He gestured towards the window. "Report says that a blizzard is rolling in tonight, might cause a bit of damage."

She approached the desk and took off her gloves. "Enough to harm anybody, you think?"

He shook his head. "Probably not…unless anybody is stupid enough to go out there tonight. Might catch something…"

"Hmm…"

"If you got some spare time, can you take that box of papers to the backroom?" the doctor asked.

"Sure, anything else?"

"No, nothing…I don't think. Just head home after that and stay indoors." He glanced at the window again. "Don't come in tomorrow unless I call you, alright?"

Blinking, Lola nodded. She took her gloves and tucked them into her back pocket before picking up the box. It was heavy, but not too much of a hassle for her. The doctor was cleaning and organizing old patient records, so there was quite a few inside this one box.

Once inside the backroom, Lola shuffled over to the shelves and placed the box high up. Brushing off her hands, she glanced about the room and snuck peeks at random items. A few books here and there, a couple of tubes of medical tools, a few packages of patient robes, and other odd items. One item that caught her attention was a leather bound book, no cover, black all around. It was sitting in the farthest corner of a bookcase, dusty and hidden away. She touched it, creating a clean trail amongst the dust.

Picking it up, Lola blew on it and cracked it open, frowning when inside was only blank pages. She took it with her when she left the room.

"What's this?" she asked the doctor as she entered the front office.

He looked up from his paperwork and cocked his head. "A book?"

"Well, yeah…that's obvious, but I mean, what is it supposed to be? A dairy or something?" She placed the book in front of him.

He pulled the front cover open. "I suppose…I don't quite remember its exact purpose. I might have bought it to write any medical findings…but there appears to be nothing inside."

"Oh…it's awfully pretty to be just sitting in the back room, and the pages feel to be made of good texture…"

"You want it, Lola?" He smiled up at her, closing the book and pushing it across the desk. "It's yours if you want it."

"You sure?" She took it and smiled. "It feels weird to act happy over a simple journal…but I think it's because you're giving it to me…"

"O, you can write any findings of yours in there, start your own adventure in the medical field."

"Thanks, doc!" She glanced over at her stuff and said, "I put away the box, so I suppose I'll go now since it's getting late."

"Goodnight."

"Night! Keep warm!" Lola collected her items and wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck. "I'll see you Monday, unless you call." Clutching the book to her chest, she scurried outside and gasped at how low the temperature had dropped in that small amount of time. She quickly made her way across the secluded path and entered Main Street, wincing as some wind whipped at her face. Pushing past some fallen piles of snow, she made her way down past the motel, frowning as she watched two familiar men exit the motel.

"This is bullshit!" the redhead had snapped, teeth chattering. "Who the fuck leaves two guys out to freeze like this?!"

"They're full…" the masked man had replied. "They had no room for us."

"Where're we supposed to go then, huh? Said so yourself that we can't sail in this weather."

"We can't, even you know that." The masked man had seen her staring at them.

Lola awkwardly waved at them, but nobody waved back.

"It's that weird chick again," the red head said. "Let's crash at her place."

"We can't—"

"She probably has food," he had interrupted. "HEY, you…yeah you, come here."

Lola stood over in her spot and didn't move. She began to pick at the book cover and cocked her head to the side when the man decided to approach her. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Let us stay at your place," he ordered her.

"I…what?"

"Come on! Are you deaf? It's fucking cold out here, can't you tell? Let us crash at your place. You owe us." His lips were paling and his eyes squinty.

"…What?"

The masked man approached them. "Kid…I don't think it's such a good idea—"

"You gonna let two guys freeze to death, huh?" Kid, she had now guessed, asked her. "You lead us to a motel that was already filled up. Gotta take us in now, only reasonable and fair thing to do to fix your mistake."

"…WHAT?" Lola gasped. "I was helping you! What do you mean this is _my_ mistake?!" She clutched her book even tighter and with an angry expression, whipped around and stormed off. "Rude!" she muttered angrily.

"Wait up," Kid said following after her with his masked friend close by. "What cha gonna make for dinner, huh?"

She ignored him. _Don't talk to him. He's a total creep._ She turned down her street. They followed. _Why are they following me?!_ She came to an abrupt stop and one of them crashed into her, causing her to fall face first into the snow once again.

Loud laughter was heard, once again.

"I can't believe you did it again, Killer!" Kid laughed, voice raspy from the cold.

She huffed, snow entering her mouth and freezing her spit. A hand grabbed her forearm and pulled her up, but this time, the owner brushed the snow away from her face.

"Sorry…" Killer, she had guessed by this point, had said. "I didn't mean to do that…again."

Lola only gave him an annoyed look. "Look, you guys gotta understand how weird you two look by ordering me to let you stay at my place."

"What'd you say?" Kid snapped.

"I know…" Killer said as well. "Ignore him…he doesn't know how to be…sociable. We're going out on a limb to ask this of you, but it would benefit us very much if you allowed us to sleep in your home. We have nowhere else to go and the weather is only getting worse."

"…" Lola stared them down.

"We'd understand if you would refuse."

"LIKE HELL WE WOULD!" Kid growled from behind.

She just ignored him. "Well…" The thought of them getting sick or even falling deathly ill made her uneasy if it meant she could prevent it. "I suppose…if you promise not to break anything…" _They're travelers most likely…the town would look bad if I deny them a warm place to stay._

"Of course," Killer said. He glanced at Kid to say something but he only crossed his arms and stared off into the distance. "He promises as well."

"Ah…um, alright then, I guess follow me."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Kid and Killer reveal exactly who they are and what they want to Lola. The storm only gets worse.


	3. We're Pirates

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.3 – We're Pirates

Her apartment key slid in with ease, cranks twisting loudly with her turn, and door opening slowly. She stepped inside, and held it open for her…_guests_. "Welcome," she said, closing the door once both of them had entered.

The look on Kid's face didn't seem too pleasing. "It's…"

"Too small?" she asked.

"No…it's too girly." He stuck his tongue out at the pale-pink walls and white furniture.

"But it's warm, and that is all that matters," Killer had told her, moving over to the window.

"Mind turning the heater on or something?" Kid asked, making his way to the obvious kitchen.

"Uh…sure." Lola placed her stuff down on her couch and went over to the thermostat. She fiddling with it a bit, slapping it when it didn't work on fist command, and smiled when the sound of hot air came sizzling into the room. She quickly took off her scarf. "I don't have much to eat…but I'm sure I can find something for you two to eat."

When she turned to face Kid, he was already working on a plate of deli meat. "Killer," he had said between bites, "get over here and try some of this. It's fresh."

"Sure." Killer left the window and took a seat next to the other. He began to shred them into little strips, proceeding to fiddle them into one of the holes in his mask.

_He doesn't even take that thing off to eat?_

"Got anything to drink?" Kid asked, coughing after a big bite. "Like rum or something?"

"I have water?"

"No rum?"

"Ah, no rum."

He sent her an angry frown.

"Water's fine," Killer said.

With a nod and a quick roll of the eyes, Lola retrieved them some water. "Sorry my cups don't match. I don't usually have company over."

"It's fine." Kid gulped it all down in one go. "More."

"You want more?" she asked.

"That is what I said."

With hesitance, she refilled his cup. "Sooooo…" she said, letting the _o_ roll off her tongue. "What's the story?" She took a seat across from them, pulling her gloves off and tossing them on the counter. "Moving to town or something?"

"No," Kid answered. "Never."

"Oh," Lola responded. "Visiting?"

Killer nodded his head. "I guess you could call it that."

"For how _long_?" She emphasized the last word because she knew that they would probably end up crashing at her place until they left and she wasn't in the mood to have roommates for any longer than a few days.

"Don't know," Kid answered. "Killer, how long?"

"I'm not sure."

"We don't know," Kid told her. "Gotta figure out where to go next…" He took a sip of water. "Hey, how come it's so damn cold out here? I thought the East Blue supposed to be warmer or something?"

"East Blue?" Lola repeated. With a small laugh she said, "You're in the North Blue."

Kid's cup fell on the table, water splashing everywhere. Lola was quick to retrieve a towel, sending him frowns as she wiped it up.

"What cha mean _North Blue_?" He sent a glare at Killer. "What does she mean by _North Blue_, huh?"

Sitting back down, Lola responded with, "I mean that you're—as of now—sitting in the domain that is the North Blue. I don't know how to exactly explain that any more than that…"

Kid's fist landed on the table. "Killer! You lead us to the wrong island!"

"…" The masked man didn't respond.

"Don't just sit there! You've fucked up. We're supposed to be in the East Blue, not the damned North!" Kid's face grew red.

"I'm not a navigator, Kid. Don't expect me to be an expert on this sort of stuff."

"Navigator?" Lola asked, but they didn't pay her any attention.

"Is that going to be your excuse until we _do_ find one, huh? How the hell do you expect us to get anywhere if we're going in the wrong direction?"

"Don't get snippy with me," Killer snapped back. "You're the captain, you figure it out."

"Captain?" Lola whimpered.

"It's not my job to figure that stuff out. I'm the one who gives the orders and does the fighting. I don't even know how to navigate that well."

"That's not such a smart thing for a captain to admit, Kid."

"Don't talk down to me."

"You deserve a talking down to, though."

"How about you talk to my fist?"

"How about you shut up?"

"Uhhh…" Lola pushed her chair back away from the table and stood up. "I'm not sure why you two think arguing is going to solve anything…but I think we've need a talk here."

They looked up at her. "What you want?" Kid asked.

"For starters," she said, "who are you? Marines? Fishermen? Travelers—"

"Pirates," both men had answered at once.

Her chair squeaked when she fell back on it. "What?"

"Pirates," Kid said once again. "I mean, come on? Do we look like fucking marines?"

"Or fishermen?" Killer added.

"Travelers, maybe," Kid said.

"Or maybe even deranged murderers," Killer said with a small laugh.

Kid glanced at Killer. "You think we look like deranged murderers?"

"Well…yeah, I mean…yeah, I do. At least _you_ do."

Placing his elbow on the table, and chewing on some more meat, Kid responded with, "I'm not the one with a fucking mask on!"

"No, you're not."

"So if anybody looks like some damned deranged murderer, it's you!"

"GUYS!" Lola cried out, slamming both hands on the table. "You're pirates! I don't care about what you look like. Just…why…ARE YOU HERE?"

The wind howled loudly in the distance. The sound of a tree falling over could be heard. Kid sent her a strange stare.

"We're here," he said slowly, "because there wasn't any room at the motel?"

Killer's hands came together to form a clap. "Good job, Kid. You answered that so well."

"Thanks," Kid said.

"…but…you're…pirates…?"

"Yeah," Kid answered. "We've already said that…are you slow or something?"

With a wave of his hand, Killer calmly said, "Look. We're not here to hurt you, so don't start panicking. We're passing through for now until this storm lets up enough for us to leave."

"You're not going to raid the town then?" Lola asked.

"No," Killer answered while Kid said, "We should."

She glanced at the redhead. He smirked.

"No," Killer reassured, sending a side glance to his captain. "We're not here for that and we don't have the ability to get away with sure a thing—"

"Not yet, though," Kid added. Tapping his finger on the table, he said, "Just you wait and see. My crew will be the biggest and most dangerous group of pirates to ever sail the seas."

"…" Lola arched her brows and held back any comments she had about that statement. It wasn't that she didn't like pirates, no, but she was just iffy about the whole thing. _I don't see the point in all of it…sailing around for weeks at a time…running away from marines…fighting…_

Getting up and taking the dishes, Killer entered the kitchen. He placed the chinawear down and glanced back at the table. "I think we should just sleep this all off. Kid and I had a rough day at sea and it would be better if we all got some rest."

"Oh." Lola nodded. "Sure, ah…There's the couch? I mean, at least one of you can take that—"

"I will!" Kid announced. He got up and took his place on the couch, kicking his feet over the arm and an arm across his forehead. He took a throw pillow and tucked it under his head.

Looking to the other, Lola said, "And then there's the floor…I can get some blankets and a pillow, if you don't mind."

"Floor's alright with me."

She retrieved a couple of spare blankets from her closet and took an extra pillow from her bed before handing them over to the man. While he made his bed, she approached Kid with another blanket and tossed it on top of him. He cracked one eye open to stare up at her.

"Just in case you get cold during the night…" She shrugged at him and turned to Killer. "Uh…if you guys need anything, just knock on the door in the back…"

"Thanks…?" Killer cocked his head. "I'm sorry; I never got your name."

"Lola," she answered. "And you're…Killer?" _Such a weird name to have. I bet it's not even his birth name._

"Yeah."

"Alright." She gave him a weak smile before quickly grabbing her messenger bag and book and leaving for her room. When she closed her door, she locked it. _Just…in case._ Placing the book on her desk, she opened it and smiled. Grabbing a pen, she quickly jotted down _Lola's Findings_ on the top left hand corner of the cover flap.

She slowly got ready for bed, always looking back at the door. She was quite nervous about the two men being there, since they were still practically strangers. _I hope they don't shank me during the night._

Frowning, Lola crawled into her bed and listened as the wind continued to scream outside.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Kid gets into a fight. A new weather report comes in, bringing horrible news about the storm.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey! So I just want to say quickly that this Kid doesn't have the red coat yet (the one he was sporting when he was first introduced in the manga/anime). And I've also have him less muscular as he was when first introduced; he's still built...but not as much. Thanks for reading!

Also, thanks to LucyKnight13 for being the first reviewer in this story. Thank you so much.


	4. I'm Good With Band-Aids

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.4 – I'm Good with Band-Aids

Her alarm went off six am sharp, beeping quietly at first, and growing louder with every passing moment. She slapped it off, groaning from being a bit tried due to the lack of sleep from the howling winds outside. Opening her eyes, she frowned when she saw only mountains of snow outside her window.

_Looks like it snowed the entire night._

Her fingers touched the doorknob to her room, hesitant to open. The night before came flooding back and her heart flutter a bit. _Are they…still out there?_

Opening the door, she peeked outside, looking left and right. The hallway was empty and dark. She slowly crossed it and peered into the living room.

The redhead was snoring away on the couch, mouth wide open and drool pooling just at the rim of his lips. The other was gone, with blankets folded up and pillow placed nicely on top.

_Maybe he's in the bathroom?_

She crossed over to the corner of the living room, just before the entrance to the bathroom. Knocking first and waiting a few moments, she slowly opened it when nobody answered. He wasn't inside there either.

_Did he just…leave?_

Kid stirred on the couch.

She approached him, poking his arm a few times. When he mumbled something that she couldn't understand, she said, "Hey…uh…wake up?"

"Wha…?" he said, rolling over to his side and flopping his arm over his face.

She poked him once more. "Uh, yeah, hey there…you awake?" He didn't answer. "Come on, wake up."

His hand shot up, pressed against her stomach, and pushed her back away from him. "Go away," he mumbled, burying his face into the pillow. "What time is it?"

"It's just past six…" she answered. "And your friend is gone."

"Huh?"

"Killer…he's not here."

"So?"

"…"

Tilting his face up and opening his eyes, he asked, "What are you making for breakfast?"

She sighed. "I have cereal. You can have cereal. Do you want cereal?"

He sat up. "What type?"

"Cheerios, and that's all I have. I don't know how to make anything else for breakfast." She turned and entered the kitchen, fumbling around for the box of cereal and carton of milk. "So?"

"So what?" he responded.

"Do you want some?" She waved the box at him. He nodded. She made them breakfast.

"You ain't a cook?" he asked halfway through his meal.

She shook her head.

"Too bad."

"Yeah."

He glanced around. "We need a cook. You know of one?"

"Uh…no, sorry," she answered. She kept her stare down on her cereal.

Taking a bite of his own, he asked, "What can you do exactly?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there anything you can do? Any skills?"

"Uh…I'm pretty good with band-aids, I guess…"

A small smile played with his lips.

After he finished eating, Kid asked, "Where's Killer?"

"I already told you, he's not here."

"…"

"Does he usually take off early in the morning?" She glanced at the window and frowned. He wasn't wearing any warm clothes…none of them were. Kid didn't even have a shirt on, just some flashy black-spotted yellow pants and some belts. The other only had on a thin flannel shirt. _They'll freeze dressed like that…_

He got up. "I don't know…I'm going to go look for him."

"Right now?" She followed after him. He stopped at the front door.

"…Yeah? Why not?" he asked.

"It's probably below forty degrees out there! And…and…and you're dressed like _that_!" She motioned her hands at his outfit.

"Well, I can't do anything about it," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

She went for her scarf. "At least wear this? For now?"

He gawked at it.

"It's for girls, though." He pointed to the frilly end. "This won't do."

"It's unisex," she argued, shoving it towards him. He pushed it back.

"Naw, keep it." He opened the front door and a gust of wind and snow came flying in. Slamming it, he turned and stared her down. Snatching the scarf from her hands, he asked, "Got anything else?"

"Maybe a sweater…but it might not fit you…" She went to her room to find it. "I mean, you can try squeezing into it, but you're kind of built…" Her face reddened. _Why did you say that? That only adds to this guy's already obviously large ego._

Finding the grey sweater, she took a deep breath and returned to the living room, hoping he didn't think too much about her earlier comment. "Here."

He took it, eyeing her for a moment. While it as entertaining to watch him slip into it, Kid did manage to make it fit, with only one…or perhaps, two tears.

"Okay, now what about you?" He pointed at her PJs. "You ain't wearing that, are you?"

"What…me?" she gawked. "I'm not going out _there._ Are you kidding?"

He cocked his head to the side and frowned. "How am I supposed to find Killer then? I have no idea where anything is in this town. You're my tour guide."

"There's a blizzard out there!"

"Not really…just a bit of wind here and there. Come on, go find another sweater for yourself and help me find Killer."

"…" Rolling her eyes, Lola went to her room and quickly threw something on, including her very warm winter coat. _The things I do to help somebody out…_

Sending Kid one annoyed stare, she snatched up her messenger bag and opened the front door, frowning when the snow came flying in. "Come on," she said, leading them out.

"This some sort of community?" Kid asked as they scurried down a pathway. There are a lot of small buildings like your house around."

"It's not a house…more like an apartment…"

"Oh."

"It's better than living on a dingy little boat," she muttered, but he didn't hear her. She tucked her fingers under her arms and buried her face into the neck of her coat. "Any ideas where he might have gone?"

"He might have gone to the motel," Kid suggested.

"Sure, let's try that first."

The motel was crowded. Many a men and women were occupying every corner of the front office, some asleep, some breaking their fasts. Lola glanced about but didn't see the blonde. "I doubt he's here," she said.

Kid looked around. "It doesn't seem so. Why are there so many here?"

"I bet it has to do with the storm. Usually, people leave the island by boat but the weather has got them stuck here."

"…"

"Uh, let's try the grocery store next door? Maybe he went in there."

Upon entering the store, they were greeted by a warm fireplace. Kid hurried over to it and stuck his hands out, leaving Lola to look for Killer. She walked by all the isles, looking down each one quickly, but she didn't find him. The storekeeper was in the back with a broom, cleaning up a mess.

"Excuse me," she said with a smile, "I was wondering if you would have happened to have seen somebody I'm looking for."

The boy looked up at her and smiled. "Uh, sure," he said. "Not many have entered today…but I can tell ya if I've seen anybody that fits the description."

She nodded. "So he's tall, wearing this polka-dot shirt, with blue jeans and some boots…his hair is _really_ long, and blonde. He also has a mask covering his face."

The boy blinked. "A mask?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Umm…no, I haven't seen anybody like _that_, sorry." With an apologentic frown, the boy returned to cleaning up the mess.

Lola nodded and turned to find Kid. "Hey," she told him, "the storekeeper says he didn't see him…"

"Hmm…" Kid closed his eyes and stood there for a second. "Let's try the liquor store? You got one of those?"

She blinked. "Uh…yeah, we do. He's a drinker?"

"Hmm?" Kid looked down at her.

"Killer…he likes to drink in the morning? Is that why you suggested the liquor store?"

Shaking his head with a smirk, Kid answered with, "Naw, I'm just thirsty is all. Thought I'd get some before we continue looking for him."

"Oh."

The liquor store was quite a walk away, all the way across down, back towards the small forest that was dead-center to the island. What was once lush green trees were now sticks drenched in white snow. A few critters wondered about, in and out of the forest, and most knew to keep their distances as Kid and Lola walked by.

"How come it's so far away from the main street, huh?" Kid complained. His face was slightly reddened, though, due to all the walking.

"It was built not too long ago," she explained. "There wasn't any room on Main Street for an extra building, so they just stuck it out there."

"They?"

"Mayor and the city watch…"

"Hmm…"

"Anyway, we're practically here." She pointed forward. "See, look; you can see it from here."

He pushed past her and quickly made his way to the store. When she caught up to him, already inside the store, she frowned when she saw a man sitting at one of the dining tables. He had a whiskey bottle in one hand and a shot glass in the other, and by the look of his facial expression, he was already drunk.

Making sure not to make her stare go noticed, she glanced over to Kid, slowly walking by the man. He didn't say anything. _Good._

"Got some rum?" Kid asked, teeth chattering. She couldn't tell if it was from the cold or from excitement.

The bars keep smiled. "Got many types." He pointed to the shelves above him. "Any suit your fancy, sir?"

"Uhhh…." Kid glanced about the shelves. "That one…yeah, that red bottle. I'll try that."

"Sure thing," the bars keep said, grabbing the bottle and setting it town on the counter. "That'll be…47 beli."

Kid muttered something under his breath before reaching into his pockets and pulling out a few beli. "How much for a shot of it?"

"Just one beli," the bars keep said with a smile. Kid handed it over and the man gave him a shot glass. He filled it and proceeded to place the bottle back up on the shelf. "…Anything for the lady?" he asked, cocking a brow.

"What?" Kid glanced down at Lola. "Naw, I ain't buying her nothing."

"…That's okay, I don't want any." She sent an awkward expression to the bars keep before following Kid over to a table. He chose one next to the drunken man. "You…don't want to sit, like, over there, closer to the window or something?"

He looked up at him. "No. Here's fine."

_Great._

Taking a seat, she sent a quick look over to the man, who was staring at them with a strange smirk. He took a sip of his drink and she quickly returned her look to Kid. "You sure drinking is a good thing to do right now, what with Killer missing?"

He took a small sip. "He's not missing."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Another sip. "He's probably out looking for information about the next island. Don't worry."

The man near them laughed, but Lola just ignored it. _Best not to look…don't want to cause trouble._

Kid looked though.

"Something funny?" he asked the man.

The man smirked and took a swallow of his drink. "Naw, just find it silly is all…"

"Silly?" Kid asked.

"Nothing," the man answered.

Kid frowned and glanced back at Lola. "Okay…" He finished his shot. "That was…alright…I guess…nothing special." He arose and the man laughed again, louder than before.

"Lord…" the man said between laughs, "have never seen something quite as funny."

Lola bit her lip when she saw Kid roll his eyes. She got up quickly and before she could say anything, Kid snapped.

"Got something to say, huh?" he asked, facing the man and glaring down at him.

"Naw, just keeping to myself is all…" the man said with a smile.

"No," Kid countered. "How about you share?"

"I mean…sure, if you want." The man got up and pointed at Kid. "Just laughing at that stupid sweater you are wearing."

Lola stepped in. "I mean, yeah it's a little tight, but there's no reason to laugh over it…"

"Not laughing at that," the man said. "On its back…says _Hot Mess._ You a hot mess, sir?" He broke out into more laughter and even slapped his thigh.

Lola turned red. She had forgotten about that little message on the back of the sweater, and she hadn't paid any attention to it during their walks around town due to focusing on the weather. "Uhh…"

Kid glared down at her. "_**What?**_"

"Uhh…"

"How about you get out of here, sir," the man offered. "Don't want any men like _you_ in this here _good_ town."

Kid's attention turned to him. "Like _me_? This is _her _sweater, not mine!"

The man cocked a brow and frowned. "See, I knew you were a tranny. Like I said, you ain't welcome here."

"_TRANNY?"_ Kid's eyes were wide.

"No…wait," Lola interrupted. "He's not that…at least, I don't think…the nail polish is a little suspicious, but yeah, he's only wearing the sweater because he was cold. And even if he was a transvestite," she pointed a finger at the drunk, "it's not nice to express that type of hatred!"

"Don't want to hear any nagging from you, young missy," the man argued. "Ain't you that doctor's girl…? Why you brining trannies to our town?"

"I'M. NOT. A. TRANNY." Kid snarled. He took a grip of the man's shirt collar and held him close. "Apologize," he ordered.

"Better let go, _boy_," the man growled. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

"Kid…let him go…he's—"

"I don't give a damn who he _is_," Kid interrupted. "Nobody gets away with talking shit to me." He threw them man against the table and laughed when the whiskey bottle crashed upon the floor, glass shattering into a thousand pieces. "Come on," Kid sneered, "get up. Let's settle this with fists."

Wiping away blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, the man glared up at Kid. "How _dare_ you!" He jumped up and took a shot, a quick jab at Kid's shoulder. He made a connection. Kid stumbled back.

_He's fast_, Lola thought, backing away from the fight. She could hear the bars keep screaming out from the counter.

With white knuckles, Kid returned the gesture, slamming his fist into the man's cheek, causing him to fall back against a chair. The man cried out, touching his new wound and wincing. "Bastard!" the man yelled.

A knife was pulled out, recently sharpened and gleaming from the ceiling light. He lunged forward, aiming for Kid's neck.

The pirate managed to move aside just in time, but the knife still cut through the sweater and grazed his arm. He brought his fist down on the man's back as he was turned, causing him to fall face down. The knife slid out of its owner's hands and towards Lola.

She knelt down and with hesitance, picked it up. _Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…_her mind screamed at her as she awkwardly held the knife by the tip of its handle.

With whimpers, the man rolled over and gasped. "You…can't…do this…to _me_!"

Kid's boot gave a rough kiss to his lips, bashing in his mouth and sending a few chips of teeth flying. Lola closed her eyes and held her breath.

The man cried out curses as his hands frantically searched his face, touching his mouth and broken teeth.

"Listen up," Kid ordered as he knelt down. "I'm Eustass '_Captain_' Kid, got that? You just got your ass handed to you by the next king of pirates. A nice story to tell any grandkids of yours, you fucking bitch." With a slap across the man's face, Kid arose and glanced at Lola with a smirk.

"Let's go," he said, pushing past her and leaving the store.

She stared down at the man, still clutching his knife. "I'm…"

"…so fucking dead, whore!" the man yelled as he laid there on the floor. "I know who you are…"

Lola ran out before he could finish his sentence. Her heart was shattering against her ribs, blood rushing faster than ever before through her blood vessels, and mind twirling around in summersaults. _What…just happened there? Just…Holy crap…_She glanced up at Kid who was waiting for her.

"You're…"

"Amazing?" Kid guessed, with a smile. "I know."

"No…" she mumbled, eyes searching his face. "Don't you realize what you've done?" She still had the knife in her hand, blood lacing the tip. Dropping it, she gasped and said, "That was the second in command to the city watch!"

"So?"

"SO HE'S ROYALLY PISSED OFF NOW! He's going to send the watch after you…after me!" Her mouth hung open wide. "HE THINKS I'M ASSOCIATED WITH YOU!"

"So?"

"SO HE'S GOING TO SEND THEM AFTER ME!" She felt her head go light. "No…no…" she muttered to herself, pushing past the redhead and walking forward.

"Where you going?"

She didn't answer him.

"Alright," she told herself. "No…just…keep away from the pirate, tell them you're sorry and that you didn't know he was a pirate…and they'll forgive you. Yeah…that's what I'll do."

Kid's footsteps were loud as he ran up to her. "What are you babbling on about?"

"Don't…don't talk to me anymore." She waved her hand at him. "This is goodbye. Like…goodbye, alright?"

He laughed at her.

She whipped around and her fists were clenched. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you're overreacting right now."

"I'm not!" she yelled. "I'm reacting how a normal person would react to such a situation!" _I…I…I could just hit him right now!_ She threw her fist at his chest but it didn't quite do the damage that she wanted.

In fact, it was the opposite. A butterfly landing on him would have had caused more pressure and pain than her punch.

"What…was that?" he asked, almost laughing.

"UGH!" she cried out, turning around and scurrying forward. She didn't even want to _try_ to explain that punch. _That was literally the worst punch known to man, Lola. Congrats on making yourself look like a huge idiot!_

Kid caught up to her once more, grabbing her shoulder. She tensed her muscles. "Before you go off in a tantrum, can you at least tell me where I can find a doctor or nurse or something?"

"Why?" she snapped. She looked at him and he pointed to his arm, where a splotch of fresh blood can be seen on the sweater material.

"That guy back there got me with the knife…I don't know how bad the cut is…"

Sighing, she relaxed her shoulders and gave him a sympathetic look. "Here," she said, shrugging off his hold and reaching for his arm. "Let me look."

"You a doctor?" he asked, surprised.

"No…not really," she muttered, pulling back the fabric and peering inside. The cut was barely bleeding and it didn't seem too deep. "I'm an assistant for the island's doctor…"

"Oh."

"It's not bad," she said, looking up at him. "You will probably need it cleaned to avoid an infection…" She glanced back at the bar. _So much for goodbyes._ "Here, follow me. I'll take you to the office to clean it." She turned and began to walk back to Main Street.

"…"

"Come on!" she said when he didn't follow.

"Uh, sure, hold up for me," Kid said.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** A new weather report comes in about the storm. Lola tends to Kid's cut. Killer is still missing. The city watch starts looking for them.

* * *

**A/N:** Regular updates are from Fridays through Mondays...Thank you to LucyKnight13 and QueenEspada for the reviews; the motivate me to write. :)


	5. Thanks Doc

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.5 – Thanks Doc

"Get in, hurry," Lola whined as the snow came flying into the doctor's office. She slammed the door when Kid entered.

The waiting room was empty.

"Over there," she said, pointing to the hallway. "Take the first room left."

"This one?" Kid asked, pushing the door open.

"Yeah." She followed him in and pointed to the patient table. "Sit there and roll up the sleeve."

He did as such.

The blood had dried by the time they arrived. Dipping a cotton-ball in disinfectant, Lola slowly wiped around the wound. There was a pinkish-hue left behind, but she didn't need to go any farther.

"I'm going to put some medicine on it, so the cut will heal quicker…" She took a squeeze tube and squirted out some gel onto the wound. She finished by placing a band-aid on top. Glancing up at him, she said, "All done."

He gawked at the band-aid. "Do I really need that?"

Cocking her head, she responded with, "You don't need it…but if you want the medicine to skin on, you should keep it on to protect it, at least for today."

"…"

She threw away the used cotton-balls and glanced back at him. "You're welcome…"

He blinked. "Thanks."

She held back a smile. _Even though he's hot-headed and everything…it's always nice to help somebody out._ The doctor-to-be inside her was pleased.

"Uhh…" an older voice muttered out from the doorway. "Something wrong here?"

Lola glanced over and saw the doctor peeping in, wrinkles drooping and face fixed in confusion. "Oh…hi, doc," she said smiling. "I'm…uhh…he was hurt. I was helping him."

"Oh," the doctor said, nodding. "How'd you get hurt, young man?" He glanced at Kid's arm and smiled.

"He got cut when…umm…moving over some fallen branches of a tree that fell over during the storm," Lola answered quickly for Kid. _No need to tell him about Kid's…incident…_

The doctor nodded his head again and his eyelids began to drop. "Oh, yes, that storm. Getting worse, so says the reports that came in this morning. Weather man says tonight will be the worst…They think it has to do with a hurricane somewhere out in the ocean."

"Hurricane?" Lola said, frowning. "Did they say if it'll ram into the island?"

Waving his hand dismissively, the doctor said, "Oh, no, no…nothing like that. It's too far out to hit the island…it's just messing with this blizzard, making it bigger than it normally would be by itself."

"Any word on when it will clear up?" Kid asked.

"No…best guess is next week or so…"

"Che…" Kid turned his stare to the corner of the room and began to frown.

"Everybody is inside today, it seems," the doctor commented to Lola. "It's best to keep in…"

"Yes," she agreed. "I'm going to head back home soon…" _Best to hide out there for now, just in case the city watch are looking for him…us?_ She winced at the thought of getting in trouble because of the pirate.

The sound of the waiting room door opening and closing could be heard. The doctor turned his attention down the hallway and smile before closing the patient room Lola and Kid were in and walking down into the waiting room. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"We're looking for some girl that works here!" one of them snapped.

Lola gasped and glanced at Kid.

"Is there something wrong?" the doctor asked. "Why are you looking for her?"

"She assaulted a member of the city watch along with another, a male with red hair. Has she been here?"

Scurrying up to Kid, she hit his good arm and whined, "_They're _here! And they're looking for _me_!"

"I can tell," Kid responded.

"She wouldn't assault anyone! You must have the wrong person—"

"Is she here?" a man asked. "Is she back there?"

"Just go back there and look," another ordered.

"_Kid!_" her voice whispered. "What do we do?!"

"Uh…" He didn't have an answer for her.

"Oh no," she whimpered when footsteps could be heard in the hallway. She quickly locked the door and gasped when one the men outside tried to open it.

"Who's in there?!" one asked when the door didn't open. "Open this door, now!"

"Ahhh…" Lola whimpered. Looking quickly around the room, she stopped at the window. Pushing it open, she awkwardly climbed out and said, "Hurry! Follow me!"

Kid did his best to fit through the window, but he ended up falling out and on his face. Pushing himself up, he sent Lola an annoyed frown.

"This is _your_ fault, so don't give me that face," she snapped, helping him up and quickly leading him down the back alley.

"Where are we going?" Kid asked as she cowered in the alley way, peeping around a corner.

"I don't know," she answered. "Like…they might know where I live…and…I don't know!"

"Alright, calm down," Kid said, moving her over so he could take a look around the corner. "We need to find a place to hide out…for now. I can take them on…right now even."

"NO!" she snapped, covering her mouth afterwards. _Don't be so loud, idiot!_ "No," she whispered quickly. "You can't. That would cause more trouble."

"Which is a good thing," he said, smirking.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his statement. "We need to find Killer…and then hide you two somewhere…and hide me somewhere…"

She didn't notice the small smile he sent her.

"Alright," she said, "let's head back to the forest. We can hide out in there for now."

"Lead the way," Kid said.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Kid and Lola hide out in the forest while the city watch looks for them. They run into more trouble.

* * *

**A/n: **Sorry this chapter was short. I wanted to break it here before starting the next scene.


	6. There's a Dead Guy in your Closet

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.6 – There's a Dead Guy in your Closet

The temperature had dropped a few degrees by the time they reached the forest. The storm had started to pick up again, snow blowing around and occasionally hitting the two in the face.

"Through here," Lola motioned for Kid to follow her through a small path. "Nobody goes back here, especially during these storms…" She hurried over to a small clearing and glanced about for any campsites. "If we can find a bonfire or something…" she muttered.

"Everything is blanketed in snow," Kid commented as he glanced about. "You sure hiding out here is the smartest thing to do?"

"Uhh…"

Kid huffed. "How long are we going to wait out here? I don't have all day for you to figure things out."

"Shut up!" she whined as she knelt over what seemed to be a pile of burnt branches. "Maybe we can set a fire here?"

Kid frowned down at her. "They're already burnt up though, and probably wet from the snow…"

"Oh…" She sat on her bottom and glanced up at the clouds. "What do we do?" Snow piled up against her leg as he took a step towards her.

Kneeling down a bit, he said, "Listen, we can stay here in the cold, freezing our asses off hiding from a group of whips, _or_ you can stop whining and help me find Killer."

"But what about the city watch?" she countered.

"There's nothing about them," he said.

"You don't _understand_ though!" She crossed her legs and pointed up at his face. "These guys are the meanest, toughest, scariest men on this island! And they're after us because you had to go pick a fight with one of them!"

He laughed.

"It's not funny! This is serious and I can get into a lot of trouble here…like…like…like what if they want to throw me in _jail_?" Her eyes went wide in horror over the thought of it. "I'm not jail material! I'll get slaughter there! Or…or…OR WHAT IF THEY TRY TO HANG ME—"

Kid covered her mouth with his hand and smirked. "Shut up for a moment, will ya? You think that these guys are tough shit, but that's because you live on an island that ain't exposed too much. I mean, come on; _that_ guy at the bar is the scariest thing in town? Really?"

She nodded her head and with a bit of effort, pried his hand from her mouth. "He is though!"

"Then think," he whispered. "What exactly happened today to the toughest man on this island, huh?"

"He got…" she started but slowly trailed off.

"…the shit kicked out of him," Kid finished for her. "By me. I got this covered. If they're stupid enough to pick a fight with me…or you, then I'll give them that fight."

"…"

He arose and glanced about before offering his hand to her. "Come on," he ordered. "Let's get outta here and find that bastard Killer, wherever the hell he's gone off to."

With a few blinks and a small sigh, Lola took his hand and was pulled upwards. Taking her hand back, she brushed the snow off and sent Kid a pathetic look. "I…guess…we can check back at the apartment to see if Killer returned…"

He nodded and turned before pausing for a second. He took something off his belt and handed it towards her. "Here, it belongs to you."

The knife glimmered in whatever little sunlight snuck through the clouds.

Waving her hands, she gasped and said, "No! I don't want it!"

"No, it's _yours_," he said louder this time. "You officially stole this from that guy in the bar." He pressed the knife into her hands.

"I…didn't steal it!" She pushed it back, making sure not to slice her fingers on it. "I…I…"

"You took it away from the owner and out of the establishment. If that's not stealing, I don't know what is."

"What…no…I…" She pushed past him quickly without the knife. "Come on, let's go find Killer."

Placing the weapon back onto his belt he said, "I'll just hold onto it until you decide you want it back."

_Which will be never!_ She thought, tugging the neck of her coat up to hide the lower half of her face. _Please…please let Killer be back at my place…_

They took the smaller roads, avoiding popular areas frequented by the villagers and city watch. Occasionally, they would hear mumbled sounds of men arguing, to which they would quickly hid themselves and wait for them to pass.

Once they had arrived to the complex, Lola gasped when she noticed her front door wide open. "Somebody is _in_ there!" she whispered to Kid, tugging his arm and forcing his attention at the entrance.

He gently pushed her behind him. "Just stand behind me…I'll go in there first and scope it out."

She followed him in.

Furniture was sprawled about, chair legs broken off, couch leather torn, and curtains ripped. Cabinets were wide open, with pots and pans covering the kitchen floor. Blood stained the carpet.

"There's nobody in here…" Kid said as he looked about. "I'll check out back, stay here and watch the front door."

"Okay," she said quickly before shutting the door. "Be careful…"

"…"

She watched his back as he entered the hallway, peeping left and right before pushing her bedroom door open. He quickly entered the room and she clasped her hands together as she waited.

"Come here!" Kid yelled suddenly, causing her to jump up. "It's safe."

Quickly making her way to her room, she peeped in and scanned the damage. Her clothes were everywhere, window shattered, desk flipped over, and her bed sheets torn. Frowning, she entered and kicked at a shirt. "What happened?"

"Look," Kid said, pointing to her closet. "There's a dead guy in there."

"_What?_" she gasped when she glanced down. Surely, there was indeed a dead man in her closet, chest covered in blood from a large slash wound. _It's a one of the city watch…_"He's…dead?"

"Looks like it," Kid answered, kneeling down and peeling back pieces of the man's shirt. "Yeah…this is pretty deep…"

"Somebody killed him…in here?"

"Well, yeah," Kid sneered. "Unless he was feeling like offing himself…Must have been Killer."

_So…they are capable of killing…_Lola pushed that thought back. _Don't think about __**that**__ right now…they're…helping you. _

Standing up, Kid said, "I'd say it's time for you to pack up your important shit. You're going to need to find a new place to stay at right now, somewhere where they _don't_ know to look for you."

She whimpered, kneeling down to fumbled around with her clothes. _I guess I could stay at that family I visited yesterday…but it wouldn't be fair to drag them into all of this…_Picking up a handful of clothes, she glanced around for a duffle bag and quickly dumped the items inside once she found one. She looked up at Kid.

"I'll…go wait outside," he said, leaving.

For the next few moments, she took random items she deemed important, including her new medical journal, and stuffed them into her bag. _That should do it_, she thought, nodding to herself.

Entering the living room, she began to say, "Hey Kid, I'm all…" but trailed off when she didn't see him. Going outside, she peered around for him, but he wasn't there either. _Where __**is**__ he?!_

She went back into the apartment to do a double take, but failed to find him. Balling up her fists and stomping her feet, she groaned. _Did he just ditch me?! I can't believe…that…that…THAT MEANIE!_

"FINE!" she yelled as she slammed her door shut. "I'll just clean this up _his_ mess on my own!" She stomped off down the path and muttered to herself as she scurried down Main Street.

_Just go up to one of the men, tell them my side of the story, and be on my way. No of this would be happening if not for Kid, that stupid, rude, egotistical pirate!_

She made a right on the small street that had the sheriff's office.

_I don't even get __**why **__those old ladies get all hyped up about the idea of pirates…nothing but trouble…_

She approached the office, glancing up at the patio from afar. There were a few men lingering around, with backs facing her, so none of them had noticed her.

Sucking in her breath, she lifted her leg to take the first step up the patio step. Her arm was gripped tightly, hand covering her mouth as she tried to scream, and she was pulled backwards.

Her body went tense as she was carried off, away from the sheriff's office and the small street. She tried to struggled, but whoever had her was stronger. Her legs went limp when she was shoved over behind a trail of trees, falling over into the snow.

"What the hell?!" she snapped as she turned her attention back, blinking when she was met by a familiar sight. "You!" she cried.

"Be quite," Killer whispered before grabbing her shoulders. "_Where's Kid?_"

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** Killer tells Lola where he's been this whole time. Kid is missing, and a big fight is brewing up.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you to everybody that has reviewed/followed/Favorited this story. It really means a lot to me and gives me motivation. :D


	7. Where the Hell have you Been Killer!

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.7 - Where the Hell Have you Been Killer?

"_Where's_ Kid?" Lola repeated loudly. "More like, _where_ the hell have _you_ been?!" She shrugged his grip off her shoulders and frowned. "We've been looking for you _all_ day!"

"Don't talk so loud," Killer ordered, peering behind the tree. "We're still close to the sheriff's…"

"I know," Lola said, pushing past him. "I was heading over there right now." She was stopped by his grip on her arm.

"Stop," he said. "Don't go there. They're looking—"

"For me and Kid," she interrupted. "I know. Now let go so I can clean this mess up!" She pulled her arm back, but it did no good.

"That's not the best thing to do right now," Killer said, pulling her back and away from the trees. "We need to stick together right now…figure this out…"

Sighing, her arm went limp as she allowed him to drag her through a small nature trail. _This isn't fair…I just want to fix all of this…why doesn't anything ever go my way?_ "How far are you going to take me?"

"…"

"Huh?" she said when he didn't respond.

"…"

"At least say _something_!" she whined.

He cocked his head back and said, "Something."

_Great. _"How about you tell me where you've been, huh? We wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't just disappear like you did."

He paused and released her forearm. "What do you mean?" he asked as he continued forward, with her quickly following after.

"I mean," she huffed as she caught up to him, "that all of this happened because we went out looking for you. And while we were out looking for you, Kid got into a fight with one of the city watch…"

"…that explains why there was a man going through your apartment."

"You know about him?" Frowning, she thought, _how would he…unless…_She gasped. "Did you…_kill_ him?"

"He attacked first."

"B-but…" she trailed off.

He turned towards a clearing. "Over here," he said, stopping to turn and face her. "This seems far enough…" Glancing down at her, he began. "I left this morning to check on the boat…there was a morning addition of the weather report, and it was about the storm…I wanted to see how strong our boat would fair…"

"This whole time?" she asked.

"Not exactly…The boat seemed to have survived the night, but there were men poking around it when I got there. I'm not exactly sure who they were, but I believe they're the men whom you referred to as the city watch. When I approached them, the spoke of boat fines and rules and how I had to pay to keep the boat in the harbor…"

"Uhh…yeah…" Lola slowly said. "That's custom around here."

"…"

"Did you pay?" she asked.

"No, of course not. I told them I didn't have the money…they didn't take too kindly to that." He lifted up his fist and showed her a cut across his knuckles. "They thought it wise to start a fight…"

"Did…you…kill them as well…?"

"No," he answered slowly, voice almost said like. "I knocked them into the water and left before they should swim back to the docks."

"Oh."

"And when I got back to the apartments, that man was in there. I asked him who he was and why he was there, but he answered by pulling out a gun, and well…you know the rest."

"…" _This guy…his name suits him…_

"What about Kid?" he asked quickly. "Where is he?"

"I don't know…" _Now he's the one gone… _"I last saw him when we went back to the apartment and found the guy. He told me to pack some things and went outside to wait…but when I was finished, he was gone…"

"He might have gone to check out the boat," Killer suggested.

"Maybe…"

Heavy footsteps could be heard nearby.

Killer quickly went over to a tree, peering around it and watching the small street nearby. "Somebody is heading pass here…"

Lola approached him and hide behind him, peering over his shoulder. She watched as three men quickly ran by, guns in hand and angry expressions on their faces.

"Hurry," one snapped. "Boss called in about some fucking pirate causing trouble near the tavern!"

"Right!" the other two said together, quickly following after.

"Pirate…" Lola whispered. "It's probably Kid!"

"It _is_ Kid," he corrected. "Only he would go pick a fight with _all_ of them at once." Turning to face her, he said, "Know where this tavern is?"

_Yes. I know exactly where it is…but should I risk being seen with them...? _Nodding her head and flexing her fists, she said, "Follow me."

* * *

Screams and curses could be heard as the two approached the back of the town. Eleven men stood around one, clearly an uneven fight, but the one amongst them didn't seem fazed by the ordeal.

"Killer!" Lola gasped as she pointed forward. "There he is!" She cried out as the pirate pushed past her and towards the situation, 'causing her to fall over on her bottom.

"Stay there!" Killer ordered.

As two men lunged out at Kid—one from each side—Killer quickly interfered and knocked down one as Kid took a jab at the other.

Sneering, Kid said, "Took you long enough to join the party, Killer."

"Looking for you isn't as _easy_ as you think," Killer growled back. His scythes slide out silently as he took a fighting pose.

The redhead laughed. "_Me?_ You're the one who disappeared!" He grunted when another man ran at him, sword pointed directly at his chest. Grabbing the neck of the attacker's shirt, he threw him across the road.

Killer went after one of the bigger men, jumping up and kicking his heel into the man's face. Landing back down, he said, "Let's make this quick!"

The redhead removed a pistol on his belt and smirked. "I was doing fine before you even got here." He fired into the group of men, taking two down before they even realized what hit them.

Running after another, Killer took a quick slash across a man's right shoulder. The blade sunk deep into the flesh, tearing away muscle and precious blood vessels. It came to a stop at the bone. "A thank you would do," Killer huffed before going after the next target.

Kid only laughed.

Over from her spot, Lola watched in utter amazement. _They're…actually betting them…those two…_Getting up, she felt adrenaline start to kick in, heart pounding and eyes wide in excitement. _They're pretty tough._

One by one, the men of the island's city watch fell. Those men, whom she grew up to fear and obey…who manipulated the town decisions and unfaithfully taxed had fallen like flies. And as it seemed that the tables had turned, something landed across the back of her head, sending her back down to the ground.

Everything stung. Her vision blurred, her nostrils brunned, and the taste of her blood lingered in her mouth. She ran her tongue across a new wound inside her cheek, where she had accidently bitten down from the shock of this new blow.

Her fingers slowly reached for the back of her head, feeling for the damage. She winced when she found the spot, but there was no blood or open cut.

Then she heard voices.

"Is that the girl you spoke of?" said one familiar deep voice.

"Why yes, she is," spoke another in a lisp. "Was there when that redheaded son of a bitch jumped me. She helped him, she did."

"We'll deal with this one later." Boots shuffled by her. Glancing up, her heart stopped as she watched the mayor and his son—the man from the tavern—walk towards Kid and Killer.

"Leave these two to me," the mayor ordered. He was of built proportions, tanned from years out in the sun, and with greying of hair. The mayor was always a rough man, short answers, tough, straight to the point sort of man. A scar covered the right side of his neck.

She felt all hope go.

_Nobody ever fights the mayor…_

_Nobody ever survives the mayor…_

She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She was too afraid. _Run_, her mind ordered her to scream. _Tell them to get out of here. _But nothing came out past her lips.

And so, in horror, she watched as the known devil-fruit user of the island and his son approached the two pirates.

_This is your entire fault…_

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time: **The mayor, a devil-fruit user, starts a fight with the two pirates. Lola ends up having to actually do something rather than sit there in fear. Quick decisions are made and this introductory section slowly starts to come to an end.


	8. Devil Fruit

**Anything Could Happen|** 1.8 – Devil Fruit

Something about the way the mayor glared at the pirates sent a shiver running up Lola's spine. The air around her was sharp and full of fear. Nothing like this had _ever_ happened before on her simple little island.

"You, boys," the mayor said calmly, letting the words roll of his tongue. There was a sense of aggression in his voice, if one really listened. "I hear tales from my son, of how you attacked him."

"I did," Kid stated proudly, pushing over the last of the men that stood. "The fuck deserved a good beating." The amber in his eyes grew wide from what Lola could only assume was excitement.

The clouds above roared and light flashed off somewhere in the distance.

The mayor clasped his hands together, rubbing them slowly and glancing up at the skies. "The storm grows…" he stated.

"So what?" Kid sneered. "Afraid of a little thunder?"

"No…" the mayor answered. "Not at all…You're pirates?"

"Yes."

"Ahh, of course, mighty pirates we have here?" The mayor smirked. "Or children?"

The son ran a hand across his mouth. "Get 'em, dad," he said. "Get those bastards for fucking up my teeth."

"Quite," the mayor ordered, giving him a dismissive wave. "I don't appreciate you two coming onto _my_ island and beating up _my _men."

"Don't care," Kid stated. "And if you got beef, then skip this bullshit talk of yours. Let's settle this here and I'll show you who's a child."

The mayor laughed. "Of course…so eager…If this is truly what you desire, then so be it."

The sound of bone snapping and muscle tearing far outweighed the screams of thunder. Lola watched in horror as the old mayor's body slowly morphed, hair growing each and every way, skin falling from his body, teeth going razor sharp. He fell to all fours, head held back high as he howled out.

And he charged forward, straight after Kid.

Killer, already in the fighting position, leaped to jump in the way, but was met head-on by the son. They clashed weapons; his being the scythe, the son taking one of the fallen men's swords. And they fought.

The mayor—now a beast of a dog—pounced on Kid, knocking him to his back. He snapped at the redhead, trying to bite down on cheek flesh, but the pirate was able to hold him back.

Kid took a punch at the dog's face, moving him back enough to roll away from under him. He quickly got up, pulling for a knife—the knife she had taken.

"Come here, dog," he sneered at the creature. "It's time to put you down."

The user growled, warm breath forming from his furry lips. The hair on his back stood up and he slowly paced around Kid in a circle. He leaped once more, howling when Kid slid the knife across his front leg.

Again, the dog attacked, going for the pirate's lower leg and knocking him down once more. The knife flew from Kid's grasp, landing in the snow, blood-red.

"Bastard," Kid laughed, trying once again to keep the dog at bay from his face.

Lola panicked. _He doesn't have a weapon! _She glanced over at Killer, who was slicing away at the son. He made a few hits, but the boy was still standing. _I…I…I need to do something!_

She went for the fallen weapon, picking it up quickly and staring wide-eyed at the two wrestling in the snow. _Just...stab him…do it…_

Running over to the two, she lifted the knife and brought it down into the right shoulder blade of the beast as hard as she could. She could feel the muscle tear and the blades vibrate from the howling. Leaving the weapon inside the creature, she backed away slowly when he turned her anger on her.

She ran.

He was faster.

And he jumped, pining her face-first onto the ground. She felt his paws dig into her back, breath hot on her neck. _Was it worth it?_ She thought, wincing when she heard his mouth open and lean forward for her flesh.

"Repel."

The dog fell down upon her back, whimpering. He was heavy, but she was able to wiggle out from under him, kicking at snow as she tried to get away. Flipping over forward, she glared at the mayor as his beast form slowly returned to human.

The knife protruded out of the back of his neck.

"W-what?" she whispered in shock.

"FATHER!" the man cried out, leaving enough room for Killer to get in and slash. He fell over, clutching his stomach, and crying out curses.

Both men's blood stained the snow.

Kid approached Lola, looking down at the fallen mayor. He knelt down and took the knife, rubbing the blood off on his pant leg. Glancing down at her, he said, "Come on."

"Did…did you do this?" she asked, eyes still glued on the mayor's body. _How? How did he kill this man…this man who has a devil fruit power and can turn into a vicious dog?_

He grabbed her by the coat collar and shook her. "Come. On." He forced the knife into her grip and looked to Killer. "We should go now, fuck the storm and the weather reports."

_Repel. That's what he said. Was...it an attack?_

"Yes," Killer agreed before looking at Lola. "What about her?"

_Does he have devil fruit powers? Who are these pirates?!_

"She's coming with us."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Lola must decide if she wants to go with the pirates or stay home on the island. The first segment comes to an end.


	9. Are You Coming or Not?

**Anything Could Happen**| 1.9 – Are you Coming or Not?

Lola's hand slowly covered her open mouth as she gaped at the dead mayor. Fresh blood continued to pump out of his open wounds, more and more snow turning bright red. She didn't even pay attention to the fact that Kid still had a grip on her coat.

Shaking her again, he snapped, "Get over it! He's dead, and _we need to go_."

Slowly, she trailed her stare off of the corpse and up at the pirate captain. "I…I…"

"Killer," Kid said, releasing the fabric of her coat, "you ready?"

"Yes," the masked man answered quietly. He looked to Lola. "You sure about bringing her?"

Kid pushed past her and towards Killer. "Yeah…I think. No good leaving her here…"

"They'll put the blame on her if she stays," the blonde added.

Kid nodded in agreement. "Go ahead and get the boat ready. We sail tonight!"

"Uhh…" Lola whimpered as she slowly turned around. "Uhh…" she mumbled again. She began to walk away, quickly.

"I'll…go handle her," Kid said as Killer nodded and began to run off towards the docks.

"Stop it," he ordered as he followed after her. "You can't go that way."

"I'm going home," she said. "Going to clean everything up…fix everything…"

He caught up to her side. "What about the dead guy in your room? What are you going to do about him, huh?"

She tucked her hands under her arms and shook her head in denial. "No…" she whispered. "I'll…clean everything up." Snow was blown into her face and she stopped to wipe it away.

Sighing, Kid touched her shoulder and waited for her to glance up at him. "Don't be an idiot."

"I'm not."

"Going back there makes you an idiot," he countered. "They won't let you off of this…you'll get in more trouble than you can handle…"

"…"

He stared off at the clouds, smiling. "I'm going to become the king of pirates one day," he began.

Cocking her head, she watched his amber eyes light up as he talked.

"And I need a crew…a good crew…a powerful crew…" he looked down at her. "You're not powerful, not at all…_but_ you're good with medicine, and I need a doctor aboard."

Frowning, she slowly muttered, "Are you asking me…"

"To join my crew," he finished for her.

A moment of silence passed.

"Are you…serious?"

"Yes," he stated firmly. "I'm giving you a choice…I'm not going to drag you off against your will." He looked back and reached his palm out. Little purple lights illuminated from his fingers and the knife slowly arose from the corpse of the mayor and traveled to him. Grabbing it, he turned to her and smirked before handing it over. "You showed me you're capable to going _there_. Take it. You're a pirate, even if you don't want to admit it."

Her fingers slowly surrounded the hilt, making sure to avoid the splotches of blood on it. _It's heavy…but…it feels right._ "I…don't know…"

"I don't have time anymore to argue this," he said before turning around. He began to walk away. "Are you coming or not?"

She stood there in the snow and watched as he didn't wait for a verbal answer. His red hair blew in the wind and he slowly began to shrink as he got farther and farther from her.

Looking down at the weapon she opened her mouth but then closed it.

_There is no life here for you anymore…Who'll trust you here?_

A single tear crossed her cheek.

_You won't be able to say goodbye to the doctor…_

She took a step forward.

_Will he know that I cherished him…? Will he…will he miss me?_

Another step.

_This could be your adventure…to find out your own medical cures and remedies…_

Her hand touched her bag and she felt for the black journal. Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded her head and ran off after Kid. "Wait up," she cried out. "I'm coming!"

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** The Kid Pirates head off to the next island, somewhere off East. They meet a shy man who brings the heat when it comes to cooking food.

* * *

**A/N:** Haha, yay! First arc/section/whatever you wanna call it is over! Thanks for all the support. Y'all are amazing and beautiful and perfect.

* * *

**About Kid's character:** I wanna know what you guys think so far of how Kid's character is coming across as in my story. I'm trying to avoid dumming him down...because I truly believe he isn't dumb. He's a straight to the point sort of dude, imo. I also think that he must have passion when it comes to pirating, and I feel like even though he's hot-tempered, he's quite kind/nice to his crew members. I mean, he must be to have gotten so far/powerful, working together and all... What do you guys think? Am I doing a good job at characterizing him?


	10. On a Dingy Little Boat

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.1 – On a Dingy Little Boat

The waves were harsh as they sailed away from the small little island that was once Lola's home. She watched, from the very tip-top edge of the dingy little boat, as it slowly shrunk in the distance. Dark clouds could be seen overhead it, snow falling down, thunder cracking in the distance.

Clutching her hands to her chest, she sighed and sat down completely. _That's it…you've gone and officially joined a pirate crew. I guess those fantasy stories made up by those old housewives were true…_

"Killer," Kid called out as he walked out of the one and only small cabin on board, "do you know where to navigate to next?"

"Aye," Killer said, pulling out a map from his pants pocket. Handing it over to the captain, he pointed one slender finger at it. "Locals said that there's an island nearby…about two, maybe three days at sea."

Kid nodded, Killer nodded, Lola shivered.

And the three went off to do their separate things, which wasn't very private since the boat was quite small. From her small corner, Lola watched the others paddle about the ship. Killer tended to the map and steering and Kid went off into the depths of the cabin.

Sniffing her nose, she glanced over the railing and down into the water. It was dark, too dark for her to see anything underneath. Another round of rough waves came and she winced when the boat viciously rocked back and forth. She constantly had to push her hair away from her face due to the wind and after ten minutes of doing so, she grew tired of it all.

Getting up, she quickly scurried off to the wheel, eyeing the masked pirate as he occasionally glanced from the map to seawater.

"…" he looked at her, but said nothing.

"Where we heading?" she asked, grabbing onto the wheel when the boat rocked and caused her to lose her balance. _It's so hard to stand up on this thing!_

"Marko Island…" Killer answered. "You know of it?"

_Marko Island…? Sounds familiar…it might just be…_ "Yeah…" she answered slowly. "I've heard of it before…it's a nearby island, I think."

"Yes."

"Oh. Then yeah, it's just like my home island…but with less snow...or actually no snow at all. I believe it's technically considered to be part of the East blue." She looked over her shoulder and stared off into the distance. "My home island was on the border of North and East…"

"We were heading east originally," he explained. "But the storm swept us off North."

"Ah…"

He turned the wheel. "It's getting late…"

"Yes," she agreed, hugging herself and awkwardly staring about. "What do we do about…"

"Sleeping arrangements?" he finished for her when she had trailed off.

She nodded.

He took a step back from the wheel and began to walk towards the cabin. With his hand, he motioned for her to follow. "Usually, Kid and I just alternate shifts during the night on which takes steer and watch…"

He opened the door and waited for her to enter first.

She quickly walked in, relaxing when it turned out to be a tad bit warmer than outside. Inside, there was a desk—which also could be used as a dining table—two piles of blankets—most likely makeshift beds—and a few crates and barrels. Kid was stationed at the desk, fiddling around with some spare metal.

The captain cocked his head back to look at them, but resumed to tending to his metal.

"As you can see," Killer said, "it's a bit…_cramped_ in here."

She nodded in agreement. Taking the strap of her bag off her, she quickly tossed it over to a corner and smiled. "So…where do I sleep?"

"In here?" Kid smirked from his desk. "Unless you like sleeping out in the cold."

A sideways glanced was sent over to him by her. "Uhh…" she mumbled, face turning hot and quite possibly red. "Uhh…that's…uhh…"

"Kid," Killer said quietly as he took a step toward him. "It might be a bit…_awkward_…for her…"

"Why?" the redhead laughed. "Do you find it awkward?"

"No," the blonde answered.

"And neither do I, so if she's got a problem with it, then outside is fine. More room for us." He threw her a grin. "It's not like she's under aged or something, nothing wrong with this situation."

Killer turned to her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to say here…he has a point."

"It's fine," she answered quickly. "I'll…just sleep over in that corner there." She pointed forward and Killer nodded.

"Alright…" he said. "Kid, I'll take first rounds…" He gave Lola one last look before shaking his head and leaving.

The sounds of Kid playing around with nails and metal filled the room. Lola quietly took her stuff over to her corner and awkwardly stared about. Placing her bag down—as a pillow—she sat down and watched the back of Kid's head.

"So…" she began slowly.

"What?" he asked uninterested.

"What are you making?"

"Nothing in particular," he answered. "Keep it quiet, will ya? It's hard for me to concentrate, especially with that storm raging outside."

"Oh…" She let it die there. Falling over onto her side and laying her head on her bag, she faced the wall and sighed. "Night."

"…" He muttered something but she didn't catch what he said.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of Kid lying down across the cabin. Her eyes peaked open, watching him as he stirred over on his back. He pulled his goggles off and tossed them over to where he kicked off his boots. His stare lingered over to her. "You awake?" he asked.

"I am now," she answered quietly, rubbing her eyes and tucking a hand under her cheek.

"Why'd you join?" he asked, turning his stare to the ceiling. "Tell the truth."

Blinking, she slowly said, "Because…you gave me that choice."

"No…" he frowned. "Is this what you want…to sail around…to pirate?"

"…" She didn't know how to answer. _Is this what I wanted…?_ "I…don't think originally I wanted this…no, I definitely didn't want this."

"…" Kid's facial expression was blank.

She knelt up on her elbow. "To be honest…I never thought about the idea of pirates…I mean, yeah, the town's folk would talk about pirates and everything, but I never paid attention to any of it."

Kid frowned. "Do you think little of them?"

"No," she quickly answered. "No…that's not it. It's just…well do I look like pirate material?"

"No," Kid laughed. "Not at all."

"See?" she smiled. "I never expected that this sort of thing would be in my life...but it has…"

He turned his head towards her. "You didn't really answer my question."

"You're right…" she said. "I don't know if it was fear of staying there that motivated my decisions, but…I do know that the thought of going on an adventure excited me to the point where I knew I would regret not going…if that makes any sense." Feeling herself go red in the cheeks once again, she flipped over to her back. "What about you? Why'd you start this crew?"

"…" he didn't answer her.

"Come on," she whined. "I answered your question."

"I'll tell you another day…" he quietly answered.

"…" Her hands folded upon her stomach and she closed her eyes. "Fine."

A pause of silence, with the wind and waves howling outside.

"Can I ask you something else?" Kid asked.

"What?"

She could hear him swallowing. "Uh…what's your name?"

She held in her breath before slowly saying, "Seriously? You don't know by now?"

"…"

"It's Lola," she muttered, flipping back over to her side to face the wall, annoyed.

"Night…Lola," Kid said.

Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Night…captain."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Killer and Kid try to teach Lola the art of steering the boat. The crew approaches the next island.


	11. Steering

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.2 – Steering

There was an eerie calmness in the cabin when she awoke the next morning. The waves were gently moving the little boat along its path, the winds not as harsh as the night before. The storm had calmed down for the day, but nobody knew for how long.

Pushing herself up and wincing at the aches in her limbs, she brought her hand to her face and tried to rub the sleep away. Blinking to focus her sight, she looked to her right to find one sleeping blonde pirate, his mask still on.

_He even sleeps with that thing?_ She had thought. Stretching out her legs, she looked about for the captain. When she had not found him, she thought, _he must be outside…steering the boat._ _I wonder when they traded shifts…_

Pulling her bag onto her lap, she opened it and began to toss out the contents until she found something more comfortable to wear—that being a t-shirt with a thin long-sleeved shirt underneath and pair of jeans. Slowly staring over to the pirate, she mentally weighed the chances of getting dressed and him waking to catch her.

_There isn't really any other way…and I don't want to wake him just to kick him out…_

Frowning, she sighed quietly to herself before slowly peeling off her coat. As quickly as possible, she fumbled out of her sweater and into her shirts. Peaking over at Killer, she smiled. _Okay…that wasn't so bad…he didn't wake up. You can so do this._

Much more quickly, she worked her pants off and slipped on the jeans, falling up against the wall from being too clumsy. The pirate stirred but didn't make any sudden movements. Turning red, she determined he was still asleep and made her way out, not waiting to find out if the pirate was truly asleep.

She eased the door open, carefully closing to make sure no noises were made. The air was nippy, but not freezing. She breathed in the sea salt and glanced about for the captain.

Leaving the cabin entrance, she looked over to the railing. There were no islands visible, at least to her. Turning around, she looked up at the steering portal and smiled when she saw Kid.

"Morning!" she happily said as she approached him.

He eyed her slowly, and nodded. "You're a heavy sleeper."

She arched her brows and cocked her head to the side. "Okay…?"

His right hand pushed the wheel leftward. "I mean that you didn't awake when Killer came into the cabin to switch places with me. I may have tripped over your feet when getting up…"

"Oh…" she smiled a small smile. "No, I didn't wake up." Her stomach rumbled, causing him to glance down.

"Hungry much?" he sneered.

"Ah, yeah," she mumbled. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning now that I think about it."

"We don't have much," he commented. "Some bread…maybe some deli meat…"

"In the cabin?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Ask Killer if he can find you anything. We should stock up on the next island…"

As the captain continued to talk to himself about things they should do, Lola quickly made her way back to the cabin. She peeked in through the window and saw that the blonde was sitting up, munching away at something. Excited, she entered and waved him down.

"You got any more of that," she asked, pointing to his snack. It was granola bar.

"Uhh…" he glanced down and then back up. Breaking the bar in half, he handed her a portion. "It's all we have…"

"…" She took it and sat down. "Kid wasn't kidding about the lack of food."

"We should have gotten _something_ back on your island." His fist balled up. She could sense the anger in his tone.

"Hey," she said slowly, "it's not your fault. None of you had enough time to grab something…"

"…"

She nibbled on the bar. "Has Kid gotten anything yet?"

"Oh, yeah, he's gotten his share," Killer said. "This is what he left us after going through the rest of the food this morning."

She frowned. "Oh."

"Try to give him shit about it if you can," he told her. "He deserves it after that little stunt." He finished his piece of the bar, crumbles covering his mask.

She too finished her. Folding her hands across her lap, she glanced about before whispering, "I could never say anything to him…he's too…rough."

"He won't do shit," Killer told her. "In fact, he'll respect you more if you call him out on his crap." He pointed a finger at her. "I've seen him say some crappy things to you so far…don't let him. He tried to pull that back with me when we were younger, but I didn't allow it to continue. He preys on the weak."

"You two grew up together?"

He cocked his head. "Uhh…yeah. We lived on the same island, in fact."

Lola smiled. _That's…so cute…_

"But that's beside the point," Killer quickly told her. "Just remember: don't let him give you crap. If he does, just dish it back at him." He arose and wiped away the crumbs on his mask with the back of his hand. "When you're ready, come out and help with the boat…I can teach you how to steer."

"Really?" The thought excited her.

"…yeah." He left.

* * *

Kid laughed at every single mistake she made. Biting her lip, she would wince at every crackle and snort. Sighing, she took a step away from the wheel and crossed her arms.

"This is too hard," she mumbled.

"It's not easy for everybody to learn at once," Killer responded. "Don't let that idiot's laughs get to you."

"I'm not an idiot," Kid snapped, stomping his foot in anger. "And I can laugh if I want—"

"I didn't say you couldn't laugh," Killer interrupted. "I'm teaching her how to ignore them."

_Now they're bickering again…_Lola returned to the wheel and took a firm grip. She slowly turned to one side and watched as the boat began to head in that direction. _Alright…that's Eastward…_ She turned the wheel the other way. _And now that's Northward…or was it Westward?_

"Stop twisting the boat back and forth!" Kid snapped, holding his stomach. "Sudden movements like that make me sick."

"She's still learning," Killer said. "Cut her some slack."

"Don't give me that tone of voice," Kid huffed. He got up and motioned for the fellow pirate to step aside. "Watch this," he said as he took Lola's right hand and placed it on another knob on the wheel. Moving it slowly to the right, he said, "Alright. This is the direction we want to go in. Keep it steady here."

Nodding, she relaxed when he took a step back and watched her. "Like…this?" she asked, keeping her grip steady, like he had said.

"Yeah," he answered. "It's not that hard."

Crossing his arms, Killer laughed quietly and said, "It took Kid three whole days to get the hang of it."

Kid snapped his attention to him. "Shut up!" he ordered. "It took me only like…five minutes, tops."

"Sure, captain," Killer sarcastically responded. "Whatever you say."'

"Just stay there for a bit," Kid ordered Lola. "If you see anything or need help, call out for one of us, alright?"

"Uh, sure, captain."

Kid turned back to the blonde. "You should take a lesson from her and learn not to talk back to me."

Killer only shook his head slowly and shrugged his shoulders when Lola sent him a smile. He made his leave for the front of the boat.

"You two argue a lot," she told Kid as he took a seat on the railing near the wheel. He glanced at her and smirked. "But you make a great team."

"Killer likes to think he's a good influence on me," Kid explained, flopping an arm over the railing. "He thinks that by arguing with me, he's proving some point."

"That being?"

His gaze left her and trailed off towards the ocean. "That I'm hot-tempered." A frown played with his mouth.

"Oh…" she glanced down. "Well…it's kind of true."

"I know that," he huffed.

"But it isn't really a bad thing," she offered before looking over to him. She caught his amber eyes. "Being hot-tempered just shows you got passion—"

"Okay," he interrupted. "I don't need you trying to make me feel better." He got up and waved a dismissing hand at her before walking away. "Just call out if you see anything."

"…" _He's…not a talker._

* * *

By mid-afternoon, her legs ached and her stomach cried out for food. Wiping away some sweat, she winced when she saw something small off in the distance. _That…can't be Marco Island…No way. Its' too soon…_

"Uhh…hey! Help!" she called out loudly.

Killer was there first. "What is it? Something wrong?"

She pointed forward. "Is that…an island up ahead?"

He turned and placed his hand above the eye holes. Kid approached them. "What's up?" he asked.

"Lola spotted an island, captain," Killer answered.

"So soon?" Kid asked, looking that way as well.

"I…don't think that's Marco Island…" Killer said. "We've might of ended up at another island…"

"AGAIN?" Kid growled. "Fine. Let's dock there and get some damn food."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next Time:** The crew dock at the new island and begin their search for food.


	12. You Have Three Jobs

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.3 – You Have Three Jobs

Both of them stood on the docks before Kid and the small boat, watching as he paced back and forth. His heels clicked loudly, wood creaking under each step. He glanced up at them.

"Alright," he calmly said. "This isn't our correct destination…again."

"Maybe you're just not that good at navigating, captain," Killer suggested, causing Kid to scowl. The masked pirate just shrugged in response.

"It's not my navigation that's the problem here." Kid stopped and pointed to the boat. "It's…_that._ It's not fit for sailing…not at all. The wind blows it off course easily, that's what's happening."

Lola cocked her head. "That's actually a really good conclusion, captain," she said. _He's much smarter than I think…_

Kid frowned. "What did I tell you about trying to flatter me?"

She glanced down and mumbled an apology.

"We have three jobs to do," he began as he raised three fingers. "One, we need to find food…and supplies. As much as you can carry in fact. Don't come back without something, you hear me?"

"Yes," both Killer and Lola answered.

Kid nodded. "Two, find out what island this is and any information about it. We need to determine if this is hostile territory."

The two nodded.

"And three," he said, "find out which direction we need to sail in to get to that blasted Marco Island, alright?!"

"Yes," both of them said once more.

Pushing past them, he said, "Now get on it! We meet back here tomorrow morning!"

* * *

Lola slowly followed the masked pirate. They _were_ supposed to separate to cover more ground, but she couldn't help but feel nervous. _This is my first time on another island…_ Kid had quickly left them, too fast for her to follow him, so she had to settle for the first mate, who didn't seem to notice her yet…or at least, not acknowledge that he noticed.

The shorelines weren't that wide, taking them only a few moments to cross over, her playfully taking the same steps as he did. There was no particular reason why she tried to keep within his footprints imprinted in the sand. She frowned when her heel accidently slide out from the lining.

_You're not very good at this…_

Sighing, she stopped the game and continued her slow pace after him. He went through a small path of palm trees, to which she did as well. He turned right, and she took the same route. He paused.

And turned around.

She froze.

And smiled.

An awkward wave was made on her part. "Uhh…" she mumbled. "Hi!"

He crossed his arms across his chest. "Why are you following me?"

"…"

"Kid wants us to spilt up…to cover as much ground as possible. You following me defeats that purpose, Lola…"

"I know," she muttered, taking a step towards him and twiddling her fingers together. "It's just…where am I supposed to go?"

He cocked his head. "Anywhere you want?"

"By…myself?"

His hand gently landed on her shoulder, giving her a firm squeeze. "You'll do fine. If you're scared, just remember you have that knife, right?"

She touched her bag and thought of the weapon. That morning, she had tucked it in there, unsure of where else to keep it. "Yeah…" she answered.

"It's not that hard," he explained. "Just ask around and find some food, alright?"

Nodding, she gave him a small smile and turned around. "I'll…head out this way…I guess." _Great job on that one, Lola…now you're going to have to go out there by yourself and who knows what's out there!_

Pushing past a couple of palm trees, she came about a small park, with benches and playground equipment. _Oh…that actually wasn't that hard…you already found somewhere to begin._ She approached a swing set and glanced about before taking a seat on one of the swings. Hovering for a few moments, she pushed herself back and allowed the swing to do its job.

A gust of wind blew by and lifted a few strands of hair across her face. Pushing it out of the way, she glanced up at the skies and watched the clouds roll in. _Is the hurricane-blizzard following us?_

She frowned at the thought of going through that storm again. _We should leave before it fully catches up to us…_

Something stirred in the bushes nearby, causing her to turn her attention and narrow her gaze. _Is…somebody over there…?_ She slowed down on the swing until she came to a complete stop. Getting up, she moved over towards the bushes and reached out a hand to push a branch away.

"Uh…hello?"

A blur of blue pushed pass her, sending her to the ground. She winced and looked back, watching as a man ran away, faster than anybody she saw ever run. "W-wait!" she yelled as she got up.

The man didn't listen to her. He entered turned into a pathway and continued running away. She followed after him, running as fast as she could…which wasn't very fast.

_Why is this dude running away? I won't hurt him…_

"Wait…please, I need your help!" she called out. Coming to a stop, she looked back and forward, frowning. He was gone.

_Good job…_

Clenching her fists, she huffed and continued forward. _Just go find a village or something…one has to be nearby..._

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Lola finds a village and runs into the man once more.

* * *

**A huge thanks to my followers, favers, and reviewers** (lucyknight13, motherloosegoose, iilLurvePancakesii, and my guest reviewers)! **Thank you so much!**


	13. Heat

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.4 Heat

The laughter of children led her to the small farming village. The fields were quite large in comparison to the small stone houses and buildings that surrounded her, with crops stretched out for miles. A smile crept up on her lips as said children ran by her, cheering, playing, and giggling at each other.

A young girl—six or seven years of age—stopped her games and looked up at Lola, cocking her head. "You're…new."

"Yes," Lola answered, kneeling down and placing her hands on her knees. "I'm Lola and I was hoping you could tell me the name of this island."

The girl blinked. "This is Nicks Island," she answered in a tone that implied she was surprised that Lola didn't know the answer already.

"Oh, thank you," she said sweetly. "Can you answer another question for me?"

"Maybe…" the girl slowly said, stretching up on her tip-toes.

"Do you know where I can find a store…or perhaps a restaurant on this island?"

The girl glanced back and forward, eyeing anybody around her. Slowly, she leaned in towards Lola's ear and whispered, "Yes…"

Whispering back, Lola responded with, "Can you show me?"

The girl shook her head no.

"Why not?" Lola asked, slightly frowning.

"A monster lives there…" the girl answered, voice scared. "My friends said never go to that place…he'll kill us…"

_Monster…?_ "What sort of monster?"

"Zombie," the girl slowly said, hands clutching together against her neck. "He's a zombie and he lives there at the restaurant. They said that he cooks the food…" The girl stuck her tongue out and made a gagging noise. "Nasty."

_If he works for the restaurant, then I doubt he's actually a monster to begin with…just some cruel children's tale it seems. _Getting up, Lola placed her hands on her hips and said, "How about you just point me in the direction of this place, huh?"

The girl looked like she was about to cry. "B-but you'll get eaten if you go there!"

Sighing, Lola shook her head and gave the girl a warm smile. "I won't, trust me. Please, this is rather important…can you just give me a little clue to where it is, hmm?"

Looking down, the girl began to push her shoe around in the dirt. "…well…if you go down this street…and head towards the really _big_ building with purple stones…you'd find it there…"

"Do you know the name?"

"I think it's called Fonk's…" she whispered. "I…I have to go now, bye!" She quickly twirled around and ran off towards a group of children. They had been watching her and Lola talking, wondering what was going on.

Lola watched as the small girl said something to them, causing all of them to look up in horror and disbelief. _Come on…this zombie story is so stupid!_ She turned and continued down her journey, ignoring the children as they yelled at her to stay away.

The further she went the less busy village she found, until she reached the very spot the girl had spoken of. Before her, surrounded around a thick sea of dark fog, taller than any building around, was a huge purplish restaurant, with a crooked sign that read _Fonk's_ placed high above. The windows were dusty, with holes and cracks randomly placed about, as if somebody had thrown something in there and broke them.

The wind howled somewhere off in the distance.

_This is it…but…it looks abandoned…_ Walking towards the entrance, she huffed as she tried to pull the door open.

It wouldn't budge.

Peering inside, she frowned when she couldn't tell if there were people in there or not. She tried to open it again, wiggling it and pulling as hard as she could. Panting, she placed her forehead upon the glass and thought.

"You're supposed to _push_ it…" a voice whispered behind her, causing her to jump up.

Whipping around, she gasped out and said, "What the hell?! Don't sneak up on people like that!" She glared down at the little girl before her, along with two other boys.

"I'm sorry," the girl whined back. "I got scared and thought we should go with ya, to protect ya." She held up a flashlight. "It's dark in there…"

Lola sighed and took it. "I'm sorry for snapping at you…and thanks." She flipped the switch on and pointed it at the children. "Stay by me…" she ordered.

The children nodded.

_Pushing_ the door open this time, she entered the restraint. It smelt...alive, as if somebody were cooking away in there. _Who cooks in the dark…? And where are all the diners? _Pushing a chair aside gently, she motioned for the children to follow her.

"I'm so scared," the girl whimpered quietly.

"C-c-chicken," one of the boys whispered back, stuttering from fear.

Even though Lola didn't believe in their little zombie tale, she did feel a sense of fear nibbling away at her stomach. _This place is too creepy to be a restaurant. No wonder there's nobody here!_ She glanced over to the right, where she assumed was the direction of the kitchen.

She heard a noise.

"Uhh…" she glanced down at the children, whose eyes were budging wide. "I think somebody is in there."

"It's the zooooombie!" the other boy cried out, too loudly for Lola's comfort.

The crash of pots and pans could be heard from the other room.

"HE HEARD YOU!" the first boy screamed, legs shaking. "We shouldn't have followed her here!"

The girl began to cry.

"No…no, stop…don't cry…" Lola waved her hands around desperately, trying to calm the children. "Stop it! There's no zombie!"

The lights were switched on abruptly. She turned, eyes going wide when she saw the man at the switch. He was pale…_too pale_. His face and what skin revealed covered in scars…_a lot of scars_. Hair a vibrant blue…_very blue_. Eyes sunken in…_really sunken in_.

She swallowed and felt her legs go weak. _That…that…that is a zombie!_

The clattering of chairs and tables being knocked over filled the room. She glanced back to see the children running down the street, door swinging. Her eyes slowly returned back to the zombie, him watching her with curiosity.

She fell back, gasping out and clutching the flashlight for dear life.

He made a move for her, she scooted back.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-stay back…" she muttered when he began to kneel down. _This is what I get! Join a pirate crew, get eaten by a zombie!_

He paused, cocking his head to the side. A sad frown began to form. "I…was only trying to help you…" he quietly said.

_He…can talk?_

"Umm…are you going to eat me?"

He blinked. "I'm not a zombie," he stated, turning his back and heading towards the kitchen. "If you're here to see the _zombie_, then I'm sorry to inform you he doesn't exist. It's just me here…so if that's all you want, just go."

Her gut hurt, not from physical pain, but from emotional. Guilt had begun to take over. _He's…just some normal guy, not some zombie. Good job, Lola, you freaking hurt his feelings!_ Grabbing onto a table corner, she pulled herself up and placed the flashlight into her bag.

"No, wait," she called out, following him into the kitchen. It was surprising clean and it had a homely feeling to it. Besides the pots and pans that had fallen over when she first arrived—due to what she assumed was him being startled—it was quite organized in there.

She watched as he began to pick up the pots.

"I came here for other reasons…"

He looked up at her. "Those children with you…"

"They just followed me!" she objected. "I came here for food, and they were convinced that a…zombie lived here."

He stood up. "Most of the town thinks a zombie lives here…They can be cruel."

She thought of the broken windows…the empty areas around the restaurant…no villagers to be seen. _They've…isolated him…just because he looks like that…_

"You're a cook," she quickly said. "I need some food…will you cook for me?"

He blinked, shocked. "You want me to cook for you?"

"Yes!" She sent him a warm smile.

"Nobody has ever asked me to cook for them…I…"

"Then I guess I'll be your first customer!" She slipped her hand into her bag and pulled out a few coins. "I don't have much though—"

"It is fine," he quickly said, cutting her off. "I…would love to cook for you…on the house." He glanced out at the dining hall. "It's messy in there…" He sounded frantic.

"No, no, it's perfectly alright!" she said, heading back to the first room. "This is more than alright." She pulled up a chair and sat at a table. "I'm Lola, by the way."

Looking out through the cook's window, he smiled and said, "And I'm Heat."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time:** Heat cooks something up for Lola. They talk about his history with the town.

**Also**, I made a **DeviantArt** page for my ff stories, and a link can be found on my profile, with horribly drawn doodles I drew of the characters and random info. If you have a DA, totally hit me up there so I can follow you and we can chat.

* * *

**Thank you to all my followers, favers, and those who reviewed chapter 12 and any new reviewers** (lucyknight13, motherloosegoose, and GaarasMyBoyzz)**! Thank you so much for reading!**


	14. Heat's Story

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.5 – Heat's Story

It was the yummiest steak she had ever had, bits of tender meat melting away in her mouth. The seasoning—whatever the cook had used—was a burst of energy and excitement upon her taste buds. She couldn't help but smile from every nibble.

"It's _so_ good!" she would occasionally exclaim between bites. _I wish I could cook this good…or at least know __**how**__ to cook something like steak!_ She glanced across to the table at Heat, whom seemed very flattered by her statements.

"Thank you…" he would mutter, happily though.

_He takes pride in his cooking…_

Resting her fork on the plate, she asked, "How long have you been doing this? Cooking, I mean?"

He took a moment to answer. "My entire life just about…I started very young, but I don't remember the exact age."

"Did somebody teach you…or did you learn all this on your own?" She reached out for her glass of juice, sipping it slowly as he slightly smiled.

"At the beginning, my grandfather taught me. This was his restaurant and I would watch him cook and slowly pick up his tricks…" He trailed off as his stare flickered over to the windows that showed the outside world. "I left once…when I was just about ten, and when I returned to the island, he wasn't here anymore."

"Oh…" she mumbled. _Did the guy die? Should I ask him? No, don't. It's rude. Just stay quiet until he says something._

"It's okay," Heat muttered, looking back at her and noticing her strange stare. "I've coped with his lost by now. I took over the restaurant but people didn't come…"

_Because of those scars? How…how did he get them?_

"They see something wrong with you and you're labeled a monster for the rest of your life."

Lola felt her heart strings tug in pity. _Don't cry…but it's so sad…Don't cry though! You'll only make him feel worse…but such a sad story._ She felt a tear well up and tried to blink it away. "I see nothing wrong with you," she said quietly. "And neither should anybody else."

Heat cupped his hands together. "You don't have to act like _they're_ not here…" He pointed one finger to one of his scars. "Because _they're_ obviously here."

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she said, "Having scars doesn't make you any less of a man, Heat. People shouldn't act so cruel over something like that…"

He shifted in his seat. "You are kind."

"No," she shook her head. "I'm just a regular person. Nobody should harass you over those scars…" _But they do…like those children…Did they throw those rocks into his windows? Do they call him names as they run by? How far does the cruelty and ignorance of children go?_ Reaching her hand across the table and placing above his, she smiled and said, "What you need is a friend, and I can be that."

His eyes went wide and he quickly pulled his hand back.

"I'm sorry," she muttered as she returned her hand back over to her. "I shouldn't have done that…"

"N-no," Heat quickly said. "It's just that I'm not use to contact…not since I was younger…" His fingers slowly rose up to his face and traced over the deep lines. "People have a tendency to be afraid of these and therefore fearing any contact…"

Lola frowned. "You shouldn't let them get to you. How about you go out there and show them you're not a monster?" She got up and pointed to the door. "This island is as much yours as it is theirs'! You shouldn't have to coop yourself up in here for their benefits."

"No," he weakly said. "If I go out there…they'll attack me…I only ever sneak out a few times when I need to collect fresh herbs or catch some fish…"

She went for his arm, tugging at him. "Come on!" she whined. "That kind of talk gives them the power!" She pulled again, this time with a little bit more strength. He got up and glanced around nervously.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable going out there."

"You gotta get over it!" she ordered, leading him to the front door. When she opened it, light gushed in. "I'll be right by your side to help you along!"

* * *

"Stop fidgeting," she whispered as she led Heat towards the center of the farming village. A few people about had noticed the two of them, gave them horrified looks, and hurried to their houses.

"I'm scaring them," he muttered. "Look how they stare at us…horrified."

"They're just overreacting. Come on, smile and wave at them."

Swallowing, Heat slowly raised a hand and waved at a woman who had a litter of children hiding behind her skirts. Those who had peeped from behind screamed out in fear and ran away and those who had stayed behind sat down and began to cry.

A man approached them, shovel in hand. "I...I…I…I d-don't know w-w-why you're here, z-z-z-zombie, but you need to g-g-g-g-go before you start any more trouble."

She felt Heat's arm tense up.

"He's not a zombie!" she snapped at the man, earning his full attention. "He's a regular man, just like you."

The older man seemed puzzled. "_Dear_…you shouldn't stand so close to _it_. He might inflict you with whatever diseases he's carrying!" He made his way to pull her away from Heat.

"Stop it!" Lola gasped as she shook the man's grip off her. "_You're_ the one I should stay away from, acting so cruel to somebody who did _nothing_ to you!" She glanced out at the group of people forming, watching the show. "All of you…you deny this man because of his scars?!"

"It's because he's a zombie!" a young boy cried out from the crowd before he was hushed by his mother.

"She's probably already been infected, that poor girl!" a man screamed from his balcony window.

"They'll infect us too!" a woman screeched, covering her mouth in horror.

The man before them cleared his throat as he narrowed his stare at her. "We've had peace here on this good island for many decades. We're simple folk…and we don't need people like _him_ or _you_ for the matter messing things up. I think y'all better just leave."

A rock was thrown, luckily missing them, but she got the message. They left, running when more rocks and trash was thrown.

"I'm sorry," Heat huffed during their flee.

"It's not your fault," she responded angrily. _People like that are the worst._

Stopping, Heat glanced around and quickly motioned for her to follow him down a small beaten path. "Let's head out to the eastern side of the island. I have a boat docked there…we can hide out there for now."

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time/coming up:** Lola and Heat hide out in Heat's fishing boat. Killer is approached for help by some townies.

* * *

**Thank you to all my followers, favers, and for all the newest reviews (From: **Demoness Kneesocks, iilurvepancakesii, and lucyknight13)** Thank you so much for reading!**

***This story has now passed 2.5k reads! Thank you so much!**


	15. Wanna Hunt a Zombie for us?

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.6 – Wanna Hunt a Zombie for us?

**Lola's POV**

She watched as he worked the steering of the rather large fishing boat. It slowly bobbed up and down in the calm sea water. Peering over the edge, she peered into the water and watched little rainbow colored fish hurriedly swim away.

"We're heading towards the Southern end of the island," he explained. "There's really only forest line and beach over there…no villagers."

"Good," she answered, somewhat angry. _Those jerks!_ _I really wanted them to accept him but they're all just stupid and mean and cruel and horrible!_ She clenched up her fists and pouted over how she failed Heat.

"I never asked you…who are you?" Heat asked after a few minutes of silence passed.

Glancing up, she cocked her head to the side. "I'm Lola…I already told you that."

"No," he argued. "I mean…why are you on this island?"

"Oh…I'm kind of part of a crew…"

"A sailor's crew?" he asked, unsure.

"No…a pirate's crew," she mumbled, smiling when his eyes widened. "I know…I don't look like a pirate, and to be honest, I'm not a very good one. I'm new."

"And your crew is on the island?" he asked, turning the wheel.

"Uh, yeah…they're looking for information and food."

"…" Heat glanced forward and continued to sail the fishing boat through the still waters.

* * *

**Killer's POV**

Killer walked throughout the small village, sore, tired, hungry, and irritable. His stomach growled with every passing minute and his head ached from the lack of food. It was hot under his mask.

He contemplated taking it off but decided against doing so.

A small vendor caught his eye, cart full of meats—raw and cooked. Approaching it, he glanced down at the chicken strips being grilled as of that moment. "How much for one?" he asked, pointing one finger at the chicken.

"A beli a piece shall do just fine," the old woman answered.

He nodded, gladdened that it was so cheap. Pulling a coin from his pants pocket, he tossed it her way and watched as she wrapped a strip in some paper. "Here," she said, handing it over.

Hesitantly, he lifted his mask up only a bit, allowing his mouth to take in the meat. The cool air felt nice against his skin. "It's good…"

"It always is," she said, eyeing him cautiously. "You some type of hunter feller?"

He swallowed. "Hmm…?"

"Those scythes," she slowly said, motioning towards the weapons hanging off his belt. "Look like a killer's weapon to me."

He smirked and took another bite. "Pirate, actually."

She nodded. "Oi…you looking for some work?"

"No," he answered, finishing the strip. He tossed the paper away in a trash basket next to her cart. "I just said I was a pirate…my job is pirating."

She shook her head. "I didn't mean like general labor…" Glancing around, she slowly leaned in a whispered, "There's a monster here on this island that needs to be _taken_ care of, if you get me, young boy. The town will pay a hefty price if you bring his head to us."

"_Monster?_" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Zombie," she replied. "Just got done attacking the town, even infected a poor young lass. Might as well take care of her as well while you're at it. Don't need them infecting any more innocents."

Pulling his mask down, he nodded. "If I run into this monster, I might do something about it…" He looked around. "Mind telling me the name of this island?"

"Nicks Island," she answered. "Named after the man who discovered it, Ser Nicholas."

"Should I be wary of any marines around?"

She laughed quietly. "No, sir, there isn't any of those around. Not in a small village like this one."

_They're no hostile then. _"Aren't you afraid of being raided, though? I mean, my crew could raid your town right this second and there would be nobody to protect you…" He crossed his arms and awaited the old woman's response.

She shrugged. "Sure, y'all can do that…cause us a bit of trouble…but you wouldn't get that much out of it. We don't have that much to raid, 'cept for the crops, but that'd only last you so long before rotting."

He accepted her answer. "You happen to know a place I can buy some food?"

"Head South and you'll find some stores, I'd reckon. But if you go too far, you'll just end up in the small forest by the Southern end of the island."

"Thanks," he calmly said as he turned and left.

_I wonder how Kid and Lola are doing…_

* * *

**Kid's POV**

He comfortably snored away on the smooth bar counter, hand lazily holding an empty rum bottle.

Images of the Grand Line filled his dreams.

* * *

**Lola's POV**

It was quite.

"Heat," she mumbled, watching him as he sat on the edge of the boat's railing. "What now?"

"I don't know…"

_We can't just hide out here forever…_She looked up to the skies and pouted at the fat grey clouds sailing in. _Stupid storm is fully in now…_ "We need to figure out something, and soon. That hurricane is here and we can't be out here caught in its winds."

"Hurricane?" he asked.

"Yeah...it's a big one." She tucked her hands under her arm pits and huffed. "If we can find my crew members, we can set sail…"

"We?" he asked, blinking.

She coughed awkwardly, realizing what she had just said. "I mean…yeah, we, if you would be interested in coming along with us…It's not really that safe for you here…"

"You wouldn't mind…having me on your crew?" He seemed flattered.

She shook her head. "I wouldn't…but it's not _my_ crew. You'd have to ask my captain to join." Her hands clamped together and she got excited. "He'd totally let you join, too! You're a cook; he wants a cook! I just solved a huge problem!"

She began to jump up and down, proud of herself for taking care of two situations: finding somebody to cook for the crew and a place for Heat to get away from the villagers. "Though…it is a little bit cramped on our boat."

"Is it smaller than this one?"

"Oh, yours is _much_ bigger than the one we got. It only has this one small cabin and little deck room." She pointed northward. "It's on the North side of the island, where I'm supposed to meet up tomorrow with my crew members."

Crossing his arms and weakly smiling, Heat slowly said, "If I do join up with you guys, I suppose the smart thing would be for you guys to upgrade to this boat. There are three rooms as well a bathroom."

Her eyes grew even wider. "You have no idea how amazing that is," she explained. _No more awkwardly changing in front of each other! And the ability to have fresh showers __**daily**__ and not until we land on an island._ She gasped, realizing she had yet to take a proper shower since her departure from her own island. _I must look like a mess!_ Her eyes clamped down and she turned red._ And I must smell horrible!_

Heat watched her in confusion.

"Ah!" she cried out, pushing past him and waddling down the stairs to the lower deck. "I'm going to go test that shower, okay? Keep watch up there?"

"Uh…sure," Heat muttered back.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time/coming up:** While Lola is taking a shower, somebody finds the boat and attacks Heat.

**Thank you to all my favers, followers, and those who recently reviewed this story (**iiLurvePancakesii and Demoness Kneesocks!)** Thank you all for reading! **

***Hahaha, it seems people are liking the Heat bits : D**


	16. Heat V Killer

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.7 – Heat V. Killer

**Lola's POV**

The water was surprisingly warm, more so than Lola would have expected from a shower built into a fishermen's boat. A little window in the corner of the bathroom was creaked open, allowing the steam to flow out. She sighed in relaxation after twenty minutes into her shower.

_Nothing at all could go wrong in this moment._

Somebody crashed into the bathroom, hands failing about. The curtains were tugged down, and Lola stared down in horror as Killer fell backwards into the shower, his masked face looking directly up at her.

Her lungs expanded farther than ever before as she screamed.

* * *

**Heat's POV**

_**Ten Minutes Earlier**_

Heat fiddled around with the boat's steering, lazily watching the still waters before him. A few cranes jumped in and out of the water on the shore, and he glanced upwards when they quickly flapped away, crying loudly in the distance.

A slender figure emerged from the forest lining, blue mask shinning from whatever sunlight managed to sneak in past the dark clouds. Heat tensed up, narrowing his stare at the strange man.

He walked towards the shoreline, stopping just before the boat.

"Can I help you?" Heat called out, hand tightly gripping one of the knobs on the wheel.

The man cocked his head. "You the zombie?"

Heat swallowed, throat growing dry. "No," he answered firmly. "I'm not _the zombie._"

The masked man crossed his arms and took a moment to think. "You look like one," he countered. "Towns folk say you're attacking them. Offered a bounty if I brought you back…dead."

The blue haired man frowned. _He's dangerous._ Glancing back towards the entrance to the lower deck, he thought of Lola. _He's here to do me harm…will he try to harm Lola? They think she's a zombie as well…_ "You need to leave," he ordered. "I have no business with you."

"I do," the man stated, jumping up onto the side of the boat. He climbed over the railing and pulled for his weapons.

Heat took a step back. "You'd harm an innocent over some village gossip and myths?"

"If it means bringing in some beli to feed my crew, than yes," the man answered, running forward and slashing at him.

Heat jumped off to the side, heart pounding. _Crew? Is he a pirate?_ He didn't have time to think. Desperately looking around the deck, he spotted a broom. _It's better than nothing._

"Stop running!" the masked man yelled, throwing another hit but missing again. "Don't fight it!"

Heat got to the broom, bringing it up to stop an oncoming blow. The metal got caught into the wood, allowing him to twist it and toss the man off to the side.

Steadying himself, he eyed the blonde, breathing heavily. "You don't have to do this," he said, out of breath.

"…" The man didn't seem to listen. He lunged once more, knocking Heat over.

_There's no stopping him…I'm going to have to do __**it.**_

Standing up, Heat stared directly at the man, body tense and determined. "I warned you," he muttered, sucking in a deep breath. Within a second, a heat grew in his lungs, warming his entire body. His lips parted and a fire came pouring out, dancing across his tongue and erupting into a mighty orange inferno.

The masked man quickly jumped back, hands shooting up to protect the front of his body. He turned, making his way for the lower deck.

_Bastard!_ Heat thought, eyes widening in fear. _Lola's down there!_

He followed after him, jumping over a fallen barrel and quickly jolting down the stairs. Clenching his fist, he took a swing for back of his head, making contact and wincing as pain grew in his knuckles. _The metal of his helmet…_

The masked man fell back, causing the bathroom door to crash open. Heat watched in horror as he stumbled back into the shower, pulling down the curtain as he went down.

A loud piercing scream filled the small room.

Heat's first instinct was to avoid his gaze, pale skin growing red.

"_**KILLER!**_" Lola screeched, causing him to look up, but quickly looking back down again when he remembered her current _condition._

* * *

**Lola's POV**

Her face turned to a shade of red she never even knew existed. After she had screamed out his name, there was nothing more that would come out of her mouth. She began to go into shock, water still pouring out of the shower top.

"_L-Lola…_" Killer had muttered, voice unsteady. He tried to back up, only getting his legs caught up with her own. She whimpered when she came crashing down on top of him.

She began to hit him on his chest. "What are you doing?!" she cried out, trying to push him from out under her. They wrestled to get away from each other. _Where's that curtain?_ When spotting it, Lola reached for the curtain and pulled it over her body. "GET OUT!" she screamed at both of the men.

She watched as her fellow pirate scrambled to get out, clothes and hair damped. He pushed past Heat and entered the hallway, with Heat slowly following after.

_What. Just. Happened?_

_Were they fighting?_

_Why?  
_

_More importantly, why did __**that**__ have to happen to __**me**__? I just wanted a shower…a quick one…nothing fancy…_

She began to cry, horrified over the situation. _Stupid Killer, crashing into my perfect shower!_ Getting up, she flipped the shower switch off and rested her head against the tile. _You just gave those two a full blown peep show, idiot!_

Quickly drying herself off and slipping her clothes back on, she went for the door and paused as her fingers rested on the doorknob. Her face grew red once again. _What the hell are you even going to say? "Oh, hey guys, liked what you saw? Huh?" No…just like…maybe pretend it didn't happen. They won't mention it, you won't mention it: None of us will mention is._

_Denial._

The door opened and she entered the hallway, looking left and right for the two men. They weren't there. _Good…they weren't waiting for me out here…would have been more awkward if they did._ She walked up the stairs, shivering as the cold air hit her wet hair.

Heat and Killer were sitting against boat railing on opposite sides of the ship.

_Just act like it didn't happen_ she thought as she approached them.

Killer pushed himself away from the railing and quickly mumbled, "I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't…look. I…"

She felt weak. "_JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, OKAY?_" she screeched, causing him to jump in surprise. Crossing her arms, she frowned. "What were you two doing?"

"Fighting," Heat quietly answered, face still a tad bit pinkish. "He attacked me."

Lola's eyes slowly shifted back to her comrade, narrowing. "You attacked him?"

"…" Killer didn't answer.

"_Killer,_" she said angrily. "Did you attack him?" She felt like she was talking to a child.

He avoided her stare, looking off towards the shoreline. "Maybe."

She did a slow eye roll. _Yes. He is a child. Can't give me a yes or no answer, can he?_ "Why?" she asked. "Why did it occur to you that attacking Heat was necessary? Did he egg you on? Did he talk smack to you? _DID HE DO ANYTHING AT ALL_?"

Killer swallowed. "The villagers placed a bounty on him and I figured we need the extra money, you know?"

Lola shook her head and went towards Heat, glancing up and down his body. "Did he hurt you?" she asked softly. "If he did, tell me; I'm sort of the doctor on board."

Heat shook his head. "Besides my knuckles being a little sore, I'm fine."

"Good." She turned to Killer and approached him.

Killer began to say, "I'm fine as well," but was interrupted as she smacked the side of his helmet with her palm. "Don't go attacking people like that!" she ordered. "You'll end up causing more trouble for us." She pointed to her new friend and said, "Apologize, Killer."

Killer tensed up a bit and didn't respond.

"NOW!" she snapped. "You attacked him unjustly. He's not some monster, but you believed those mean people instead of thinking and deciding for yourself!" _I'm disappointed in him right now…I'd expect this type of thing from Kid, but from Killer? He's supposed to be the logical one!_ Crossing her arms, she said, "I'm waiting."

She could hear Killer huff under his mask.

"Sorry…" he mumbled, looking over to Heat. "I guess I didn't think this through…and I acted on instinct…" His voice trailed off.

Lola smiled and turned to Heat. "Was that good enough for you?"

He blinked. "Uh…yeah…I guess."

She clapped her hands together and cheered. "Good, because we all need to be friends here if we're going to be a good pirate crew!"

Killer coughed. "What? What do you mean?" He looked to Heat. "You're joining?" He looked back to Lola. "Did Kid allow this? Does he even _**know**_?!"

"Umm…no," she whispered. "But I think he'll totally dig the idea of Heat joining, since he can cook and all."

Killer shook his head. "No…wait…I don't think you should make up decisions without the captain…"

"What's the worst that can happen, huh?" Lola asked, smiling.

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time/coming up:** The crew stumbles upon a drunken Kid and Lola tells him about Heat. What will be Kid's reaction to Lola deciding Heat can join _his_ crew? Second section is coming to an end.

* * *

**A/N: Updates will now be only on Wednesdays and Fridays. D:**

**Thank you to all my favers, followers, and those who gave me the newest reviews (From: **Demoness Kneesocks, iilLurvePancakesii, abovethecloudsbetweenthestars, and lucyknight13!)** Thank you so much guys! The support really means a lot.**


	17. I'm the Captain, Alright!

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.8 – I'm the Captain, Alright?!

**Kid's POV**

By the time his eyes opened, the sky had grown purple, fat heavy grey clouds hovering above the island. Between the gaps of the storm, little blue stars could be seen, if one squinted hard enough. _What time is it?_ Kid reflected as he slowly pushed himself away from the bar table, cheek sore from him resting on it for so long. _Is it dawn…midnight…? My head hurts._

He belched out, slowly stretching his arms out afterwards. _Guess I should head back to the boat._ Even though he struggled a bit with walking at first, he managed to find his way out of the dimly lit bar.

The farming village had closed its docks at night, allowing none to enter and none to leave, and so as Kid stumbled throughout the streets, he quickly noticed all the sailors wondering about. Trying to straighten his stare, he watched a few of them happily enter a rather small establishment. The sweet calls and coos of women filled his ears.

_A brothel?_ The thought intrigued him, and he reached into his pocket to feel around for any spare coins. _Shit…I don't have that much. Killer would slit my throat if I spent any of the beli on some whores._ Pouting, Kid forced himself to push past the inviting building.

A dim orange light could be seen as he continued onward. As he got closer, he could fully take in what was happening. _That's a mob. A rather big one, it looks. I wonder what's got them all angry._ He went for the group, slipping in quietly in the back.

"It's been four hours since that old vendor lady sent that young pirate off to hunt those two zombies," a man explained before the group, standing tall upon a soapbox. "We can only assume he has failed us, and we cannot just sit here and wait for that monster to return to our town!"

"Aye, aye!" a man bellowed from the crowd.

"You men have to do something," a woman whined. "The poor children! That monster tried to attack them today!" Other women began to whimper and cry out pleads for their children's safety.

The leading man raised his hand to silence them. "Yes, we all have problems and ill luck towards this creature, and that is why I need the strongest men in this town to help me track him down. We _will_ solve this problem, by mornings light."

"Hey," Kid mumbled to a wide eyed child next to him. "What's this about a monster?"

The young boy glanced up at him and cocked his head. "You don't know, mister?" the boy practically gasped. He had a gap between his two front teeth and so he talked with a lisp. "There's a zombie here in town, and he went and attacked everybody this afternoon."

"That so?" Kid remarked, glancing back to the man giving a speech to the town. "He mentioned something about a pirate."

"Yeah," the boy quickly commented, almost excited. "There was this cool looking dude in a really scary blue mask and he looked like he was going after the zombie. Ain't nobody seen him again, yet, so he must be dead or something."

_Killer…_

"Let's waste no more time!" The man hopped off his box and took a pitchfork, pointing southward. "There have been sightings of the monster near the southern side of the island! If we jump him all at once, we might actually be able to take him down." He led the mob of angry men, each either holding a weapon or torch.

Crossing his arms, Kid smirked at the group of women, children, and elderly folk left behind.

"Aren't you gonna go fight, mister?" the boy had asked him, tugging on his shirt.

Kid brushed him away glanced back towards the docks. _Killer has gotten himself into a mess it seems. I can either go follow those fools and save his ass or I can go continue my nap at the boat._ Shrugging, Kid decided to follow the men. _I'd like to see this zombie anyway._

* * *

**Lola's POV**

They never even heard them coming, that angry mob of men with their sharp pitchforks and bright red flames. She had first heard of their presence when a panicked Heat ran down to the kitchen, where Killer and Lola sat discussing the island and where they planned on heading to next.

"Villagers," Heat had muttered between breaths. "They're looking for a fight."

Glancing to her blonde comrade, eyes full of worry, she said, "What are we going to do?" _I thought we were safe here. I thought they wouldn't be able to spot the boat in the dark waters. Why won't they leave us be?_ "Should we sail the ship away?"

"To where?" Killer huffed, getting up and pulling out his weapons. "We still need to find Kid and retrieve our items back at our boat." Turning to Heat, he said, "I'm going to need your help."

Heat nodded and slowly looked over to Lola. "You should stay inside," he suggested.

"Lola, you have that knife, right?" Killer added.

She looked down to her bag and swallowed. "Yeah," she said, letting the word slowly roll of her tongue. "B-but…that type of combat is a little too much for me. I don't think I could…"

"Just for protection," Killer reminded her before turning back to Heat. "Is there a gun around?"

"I have a small handgun," Heat mumbled as he went to a cupboard. He opened it and pushed aside boxes of grains. Slowly, he pulled out a greyish metal object and glanced up to Killer. "Why?"

Killer pointed to her. "She should take it. It's easier to work a gun than use a knife, and she can hide from over there and shoot anybody who enters here."

Heat seemed to agree to that idea, and handed the weapon over to her.

"N-no way," she stuttered, pushing the weapon back. "I don't want this."

"Lola!" Killer snapped, walking up to them, taking the gun, and forcing it into her hands. "We don't have time to argue. Take the gun, go hide, and put your finger on the trigger and shoot if anybody tries to get in."

And with that he left, with Heat giving her a weak stare before following him. The door closed and she sucked in a deep breath. The metal was cold, heavy, and intimidating. She had never held a gun before.

Hell, it was her first time holding a knife just the other day. _So much is happening so fast._

She heard the voices of the villagers from outside the boat. _Are they going to board the ship?_ Her heart pounded. _I should do something…_ Her eyes quickly scanned the room. _Block the door? With what…the chair? Yeah, go use the chair._

Placing the gun down on the table, she began to drag the somewhat heavy dining chairs across the kitchen and towards the door.

"I'm giving you one last chance to turn around and leave us be," Killer's voice boomed from the deck, traveling down to the lower deck and filling the small kitchen. Her flesh shivered as she could hear pounding against the side of the boat. _They're climbing aboard! Why isn't Heat just steering the boat away…?_

She pulled another chair over, breathing heavily before going for another one.

There was screaming. _It doesn't sound like Killer or Heat's voice._

The third chair was propped up against the door. _Is that enough?_ Footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door. Somebody pounded on the door, his voice muffed. She couldn't understand him. He pounded again, the chairs moving slightly.

_Crap, crap, crap._ She grabbed the gun and ran across the room, scurrying under the table, and nervously pointing it towards the door. "D-don't come in," she cried out. "I…I have a gun!"

The door jolted again, sending one of the chairs skidding across the tiled floor. She closed her eyes tightly and began to panic. _Put your finger on the trigger and shoot, just like Killer said._ Her index finger slowly slipped in before the trigger, gently pressing against it. _Open your eyes. You need to open your eyes…and shoot._

Her eyes fluttered open when the door finally gave way, allowing whatever man outside to come tumbling in. Without thinking, she pressed her finger down and an explosion erupted from the gun.

The bullet hung still in the air, the man's pale hand raised up just mere inches before it.

"_What the fuck, Lola?!_" the man growled, bullet falling to the floor. "Trying to blow my fucking head off?"

She peered from under the table. _Kid…_

And she cried. "_Kid_," she wailed. "I didn't mean to shoot at you. I…I…I thought you were one of those villagers, and Killer told me I had to shoot whoever came in." She threw the gun to the floor and began to rub her wet eyes. Sniffling, she looked up at his sour expression.

She stayed under the table, watching as his boots made their way over to her side of the room. He kicked her leg.

"Stop crying!" he ordered. "I don't allow crybabies on my crew."

She wiped her nose on her sleeve and hiccupped. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, trying her best to hold back another wave of tears. "I didn't mean too…"

"Shut up," Kid said, kneeling down so he could get a better look at her. "Even though you just tried to kill me, I must admit I'm surprised you actually pulled the trigger. You're kind of a wimp, to be honest."

"I know," she whined. Her hands covered her face, hiding her tears from him. _He ordered you to stop crying!_ Sniffing, she asked, "What are you doing here? How'd you find us?"

"Followed that angry mob."

"The villagers!" She crawled on all fours past him, looking at the broken door. "Are they still out there?" _I don't hear anymore screaming…_

"No," Kid laughed, sitting down and placing a hand on her hip before pushing her over onto her side. "They fled like rats when Killer started cutting one guy to pieces. That pale looking dude up there was impressive as well."

"That's Heat," she said, sitting up and crossing her legs. The tears had stopped, but her eyes were still red and raw. "He's the reason they came here," she explained.

"I know. One of them gave a whole speech about zombies back in the village." Kid turned his attention to the door and shrugged. "Even though he looks a bit strange, I could tell from a first glance that he wasn't a zombie."

"How did you know?"

He smirked at her. "Zombies can't think. That guy does, and one can clearly see by the way he fought."

"Oh…well, that's good you think that about him because he's joining our crew," she informed him. "He even said we can use his boat, it's much more spacious, and even has its own bathroom."

Kid tilted his head to the side. "What?"

"I said it has its own bathroom," she said once more. Her voice got caught in her throat as his hand reached out for her coat collar, bringing her face in towards his. His eyes were so bright, narrowed, and angry. She whimpered when the collar dug into the flesh on her neck.

"I don't remember saying he could join the crew," Kid slowly said, eyes glued into her own. "So what do you mean he's joining our crew, hmm?"

"I...I thought…thought it was okay," she struggled to answer. "He's a g-great person…K-kid." His grip tightened, causing her to grab his wrist. _It hurts! _She tried to beg him to stop, but the words were cut short.

"Listen," he told her, "Only I make the decisions on who joins and who doesn't, alright? I'm the captain, alright? You're the doctor. I'll stick to doing the captain work and you stick to doing the doctoring, understand?"

She tried to nod, but that only placed more pressure on her neck.

"Understand?" he repeated himself loudly.

"Y-yes," she managed to say.

He pushed her back and she fell on her back, relief slowly returning back to her throat. She rubbed it, still on her back. _Why did he do that? That was horrible…I didn't mean to anger him, I thought I was helping…_

Silence lingered between them for a minute.

"So he said we could have the boat?" Kid finally asked, as if what happened didn't actually just happen.

"I thought you don't want him to join?" she muttered, eyes narrowed as she looked up at him while lying flat on her back.

"I never said that," he corrected her. "I just warned you about making decisions only befitting a captain. That dude out there can join. Hell, I want him to. Fire fucking erupted from his mouth." He seemed pleased over that.

Lola sighed and cocked her head back, looking at the fallen bullet, upside-down from her angle. "Kid?"

"What?"

"How'd you stop that bullet?"

He laughed. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

She pushed herself up by her elbows and stared at him. "Devil fruit?" she asked.

He nodded.

"So what…you can stop things moving mid-air?"

He shook his head. "No exactly. I can control metal, bend them to my will. _Watch_." His hand arose from his lap and the bullet quickly shot up and made its way over to her, hovering just before her face. She had to move back down on her back as the bullet continued to head for her.

"Kid…" she gasped, slapping the bullet and sending it across the room.

He was grinning.

"That's not funny," she complained, sitting back up and scooting away from him. "You don't have to be mean with every point you make."

"I wasn't," he counted.

_Yes you were._ She crossed her arms and studied him with a narrowed expression. _His nose is red…and his eyes look a little dull, and his breath smelt rather bad when he was up close just now…_ "Captain?"

"What?"

"Are you drunk?"

He shook his head. "No…not anymore, I don't think." His fingers ran through his red locks, scratching his head.

Lowering her brows, she said, "So you were at earlier?" _That jerk! While Killer and I are out looking for information he goes and gets drunk! _"Did you find out anything about the island, or more importantly, anything about any food or supplies?" Her voice had risen a bit, but she hardly noticed.

He shrugged. "I found out they have really good rum here."

"Ah!" she snapped, jumping up and storming out for the door. "You the can be just the worst!" _Talks with him always end up giving me a headache. I should just go check up on Heat and Killer. And we need to get the hell off this island!_

* * *

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Next time/coming up:** The ending to section two! Loose ends are tied up on this island and the crew figure out a plan to get to Marco Island.

* * *

**Thank you to all the favers, followers, and those who gave this story its most recent reviews (From: **Demoness Kneesocks, erchilli, and lucyknight13). **It really means a lot, so thank you so much for the support!**

***This story has reached over 3.8k views! Thank you so much! That is just amazing! ~3~**


	18. Kid's Kind of like Magneto

**Anything Could Happen|** 2.9 – Kid's Kind of like Magneto

**Lola's POV**

Lighting spilt the darkened sky, a blast of white blinding any of those on the island. A few heartbeats later had come the thunder, roaring out like the sea.

Lola flinched every time the skies boomed. She was told to stay on Heat's fishing boat, as a lookout for any villagers _stupid enough_—Kid's words—to come looking for another fight. The others went to go tie their old boat to the new one. Luckily, nobody came, but because of the fear of fighting the pirates or the fear of the storm, they would never know.

It was at that moment she thought of home. _I wonder what doc is doing right this moment. What did he think when he found out I had left with the pirates? Is he mad…afraid…or has he already forgotten me?_ She clutched the railing and whined when rain began to pour down. _This isn't what I had in mind when I thought about pirating…_

"Spot anybody?" Killer had asked when he climbed over the railing, strings of blonde hair clutching desperately to his mask.

"No."

He leaned over the railing and waved his hand. "Okay," he told her, "I think we're about ready to set off."

She glanced past him and saw Heat climbing the side of the boat and Kid standing on the now little dinghy. "How are we going to get past the gates though?" She pointed back at the tall metal gates, frowning. "We can't get out…"

"She's right," Heat commented as he jumped on board. "And if the boats stay here any longer in this dock, they're turn over from this storm."

"Captain!" Killer called out. "Do it!"

Kid nodded and Lola watched in confusion as both of his hands rose up to his sides, palms facing outwards. His face contorted into frustration, as if he was really concentrating. The boat began to shake.

"Uhh…" she mumbled, clutching onto Heat for support. "What's going on?"

"I would go hold onto something other than him," Killer suggested as he made his way for the steering wheel.

_What is that supposed to mean?_

The boat shook again, harder this time, and her legs felt weird underneath her. She fell to the deck, gasping out and quickly crawling over to the railing to cling on to. Peering over, she watched in horror as the boat began to _hover_ over the water.

"What is _going_ on?" she cried out.

"He's levitating the boat," Killer answered as he struggled to hold onto the steering. "It's made of metal, he can control it."

And then it clicked.

_He's going to…__**fly**__ us over the gates?_ The creaks of the boats outmatched the thunder at some points, and she felt her heart stop when the fat clouds grew closer and closer to them. "Ah!" she covered her face when it seemed they were going to fly straight into the storm.

And the boat quickly plopped down, with the gates behind them. The little dinghy made a loud splash and she could hear the captain cursing up a storm about getting his hair wet. She peaked through her fingers to catch Heat paler than usually, as if he had just seen a ghost.

"That was…" he mumbled.

"Intense," she finished for him. Her legs hurt when she pushed herself up and peered over the railing. "Kid," she called out to him, waving her hands until he looked up at her. "That was so…_**cool!**_ _HOW DID YOU DO THAT?_"

His once sour look morphed into a smirk. Laughing, he stated, "Nothing can stand in the way of me and my powers!" He pointed up to her. "That was only a mere _taste_ of what I can do. Watch and see: One day you'll be able to experience the true extents of my power!"

Her expression grew dull as he continued to praise himself. _Look what you did! You boosted up his ego and now he's probably going to brag about himself for the next ten weeks!_ She left the railing, leaving Kid on the dinghy to talk about how amazing he was. "Killer, where are we going now?"

"We're supposed to have landed on Marco Island already," he explained as he showed her a map soaked from the rainfall. "But if this is truly Nick's island then…we're father off than I originally thought."

"Marco Island?" Heat muttered as he peered over Lola's shoulder to sneak a look. "That's in the opposite direction." He tapped her shoulder gently and whispered, "You should get out of the storm…you might get sick."

"Oh," she mumbled. "You're right. Actually, we _all_ should get out of the rain…but who'll steer the boat?"

"It has auto-steering for situations like this," Heat answered. "Just set in the coordinates for the island and it'll make its own path there, all by itself."

"That's amazing," Killer muttered. "Why didn't I think of installing that before?" He crossed his arms and nodded. "Okay, let's get inside and discuss our plans."

"You two go ahead, I'll get the captain…he's still down there talking to himself I think." Lola returned to the railing and sighed when it seemed as if Kid didn't even notice she had left to begin with.

"And that is why I'll become the king," he finished, opening his eyes and looking up at her. "You got all that, huh?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yup, I got all that, captain." _It's a lie, but he'll never know._ "But come on up here and get out of the rain." Her hand left the railing and stretched out towards him, offering him help up. "Hurry, the rain is getting heavier!"

For a brief moment, he looked surprised. Frowning, he pushed it aside and climbed up on his own. "Girls," he had muttered to himself, followed by something she couldn't quite hear. He went for the lower deck and she followed after him.

A towel was tossed her way when she entered the kitchen, where the other two had been. "Thanks," she told Heat as she tried to dry herself off. It was warm, fuzzy, and quite the nice gesture. _Heat's a nice guy…_

However, nobody else had towels and when she finally noticed that, she felt herself go red in the cheeks. _Aw crap. Was I supposed to share this with everybody else? It's already soaked._

Kid ripped the towel away from her and frowned once again. "Thanks for using it all up," he told her, tossing it on the table. "You got anymore?"

"That was the only one," Heat said, shrugging. "I had another towel earlier, but it was used when…when Lola took a shower…"

All eyes fell on her. "Oh…sorry…" she mumbled, slowly scooting away towards the corner of the room. _I'll just hide over here…some of them…well, only really Kid, looks mad._

"I'll set them out to dry once we get out of this storm," Heat said as he collected up the towel. "I think the best thing to do now is just sleep. I have two other rooms beside this one and the bathroom…but I don't know how you guys have your, uh, sleeping arrangements done. If it helps, I can sleep in here. There's a couch back there that turns into a pull-out bed."

"Good," Kid commented. "Captain gets a room to himself; I think that's fair to say."

"I think it should be divided up where boys get one room and the girl gets the other," Lola said, voice growing weak when Kid's angry stare slowly glanced back at her. "…or something…" She started to twiddle her fingers around together in circles, nervously glancing down to the floor.

"You should go hang out to dry with the towels," Kid snorted back.

She pouted back. _I don't want to share a room with one of them though. I've already had enough bad experiences with that already._

Heat cut in. "Well, one room is quite bigger than the other, and I think Lola is right…perhaps she should take the small one and you two share the bigger one?"

"_I like that idea~_" she sang out, clapping her hands together before quickly skipping out the room. "I like it so much that I think I'll try out my new room. _Night~_" _I need to claim that room before Kid says something against it._

"HEY, where are you going?" the red head growled, following after her. "We're not done discussing this." By the time he had reached her, she was already in the room.

She closed the door in his face, flashing an evil grin at him before it fully came shut. _"You should really get some sleep, captain~"_

He huffed. "Whatever," he muttered back behind the door, his footsteps growing quite as he walked away from her new room.

_Yay! I won._

Even though small, the room was quite comfy. It had a bed—not quite a queen size, but not quite a twin size either. It was big enough to fit her comfortably. There was also a drawer for clothes and small items, and even a desk with a window right above it.

_It's super cute!_

Lola, being the only one dry, was able to fall asleep before anybody else, face nuzzled deep into a pillow and body wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket. _It looks like things are getting better._

* * *

**To be continued…**

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**Next time/coming up:** Section three! We'll meet a new crew member, one who actually knows how to read a map properly. Kid finds something fashionable. The reason for the blizzard hurricane storm thing will be answer.

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**Thank you to all my favers, followers, and those who gave this story its newest reviews (From:** Demoness Kneesocks and iiLurvePancakesii)! **All the support this story gets is amazing and I thank you guys deeply for doing so!****  
**

* * *

**Responses:**

**Demoness Kneesocks: **I just want him to get a little bit aggressive with her. I might have him get more aggressive/violent with bigger situations, but for now, I'll just build it up. Thanks. : D

**iilLurvePancakesii:** hahaha, yeah. xP I'm going to build it up to the point where she'll have to learn how to just tell him what's what and really just scold him hardcore. Thanks : D


	19. Tipping Over

**Anything Could Happen|** 3.1 – Tipping Over

**Lola's POV**

She dreamt she was home, nuzzled in a blanket before the fireplace. The blizzard outside roared on, but at least she was _safe_ and warm, and that was all that mattered. In that dream, there were no pirates, no marines, no villagers…it was just her and that fireplace.

And the piercing screams of the storm.

Lola awoke when she was thrown off the bed, stomach landing on the floor beneath her. Everything hurt and it felt like her legs were tangled up in something. Forcing herself to shift over to her side, she opened her eyes and saw that her legs were still caught up in the blanket. She kicked it off and sat up, blinking.

The room was shaking back and forth and the walls creaked with horror. _What is going on?_ When she got up, it was hard to keep her balance. Her legs felt weak from the boats vicious shakes and so she had to balance herself by holding onto the walls. She opened her door and glanced down the hallway.

Killer and Kid's door slammed open, with the masked man quickly running up to the top deck without even acknowledging her presence. He wasn't even properly dressed, just like her. _What time is it?_ _We're still in our PJs…_

She went to their room, to peek inside and see if the captain was in there. He wasn't. _They must all be up on the deck…_The boat was hit by another harsh wave, sending her up against the right wall. It felt as if the boat was going to fall over on its side.

Somebody cursed from up on the deck as the boat quickly returned back to normal position. She was sent flying over to the left wall, this time holding out her hands to cushion the impact. _The storm…it's going to tip us over!_ Lola quickly ran up to the upper deck, pushing the doors open and gasping out when she saw the lighting dancing up in the clouds. Rain poured down on her, cold and unfriendly, and she could swear she saw some hail off in the distance.

Kid pushed past her, carrying rope. She followed him, constantly trying to push her hair out of her face in order to talk properly to him. The wind was relentless. "Captain," she managed to say as she caught up to him, "what's going on?"

He flung the rope over his shoulder and began to mettle around with the rope and poles that lead up to the mast and sails. "Go over to the helm and help Heat!" he boomed at her, pushing her over so he could get better access to the boat. When she didn't do anything, he yelled, "_**GO!**_"

Lola stumbled away, quickly making her way over to the helm. Every little bump and shake from the boat lead her to crying out in fear. She wasn't used to this yet, wasn't used to this pirate life. And so far, she hated boats.

When she managed to reach the helm, gasping out for air, she caught a glance from Heat. His dreadlocks were soaked and clinging to his face, chest, and shoulders. "Heat, what can I do?"

"Help me keep this steady," he answered, looking down to the steer. "This storm is giving the boat problems."

She got next to him and took a grip of one of the knobs. "I'll push and pull in whatever direction you do," she told him, pushing forward when he turned it right. "When did this start?"

"Just a few minutes ago, actually. It just…happened, out of nowhere." He looked up and frowned. "I swear the skies were calm just ten minutes ago…but…"

"But this stupid storm showed up, huh?" she finished for him. _It's like this storm is following us! Do storms even have a mind of their own? No…no, that's just stupid._

A flash of light erupted off to her side, causing her to scream out and jump up. "Lightning!" she muttered, moving over to the other side of Heat. "That almost hit me!"

"I know…" he mumbled. "It was rather close."

Lola looked up and her eyes went wide. The dark clouds above seemed to be _swirling_ around, just above the ship. _That's not normal…that can't be normal!_ Lightning exploded from each and every way and the winds picked up strength. Something crashed up against the side of the boat, causing it to tilt over to its side.

"It's tipping!" she heard Killer scream out from somewhere.

"Damn!" Heat growled, trying his hardest to push the steering over. "Lola, help!"

Lola froze. She couldn't process anything that was being said. All she could do was look up at that fuck-fest of a storm. _Somebody is up there! _There was a face, tiny and barely visible, but she saw it. "H-Heat! Look!" She pointed upward but that didn't matter. The boat was tipping.

Lola went crashing into the icy waters. Her body was sent outward when the waves from the boat crashing found their way to her. The only thing she could do was swim.

But it was so hard.

Seawater dunked her into its depths, sending her farther and farther away from the boat. Everything was dark. She couldn't see. Water found its way up her nose. Her arms flailed out, legs kicking, and she managed to swim up enough to take a quick breath.

Items and storage drifted quickly by her and she was able to clutch onto a barrel. Lola watched in horror as the boat grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Nobody else was around. It was just her. Alone.

"Kid!" she screamed out in a frantic. "Killer! Heat! _**Somebody?!**_"

There was no call back.

* * *

She awoke with sand in her mouth. Beneath her, the ground was soggy and cold. Her throat was afire with pain. Her lips were dry and cracked, and her eyes were raw and sore.

Lola tried to swallow, but it hurt and she didn't really have any saliva to push down. When she pushed herself up to the sitting position, she had to quickly lie back down due to her head pounding. She felt dizzy.

_What...?_ _What happened?_

She blinked, more than once, and rested a hand on her stomach. _Try and get up again._ She used her other hand to push her back up, and she when she did, she managed to keep up. "Where…where am I?" She looked about. There was beach to her left and right, ocean to her front, and forest to her back. A few barrels and busted crates were scattered around her, but no ship and no crewmates.

The night before came flooding back to her. Everything that had happened, the storm, the boat tipping over…that face. _My throat hurts because I was screaming out for help when out in the water…how long was I out there for? Where is everybody?_ She struggled to stand up, and her toes began to sink into the wet sand.

_I need to find somebody. Maybe Kid or the others are out on another part of the beach?_

As she headed down the right side, she sniffed and began to wipe away the sand from her face. _That storm…_Glancing up, she saw that the skies were calm, with only light grey clouds. _That wasn't a normal storm. I'm not crazy…I did see somebody up there…but who? _

_And the others…Kid is a devil fruit user, and I think they can't swim. That was always the story though…what if…no, don't think about that. They're all alive, like you are. You survived, so they had to have survived as well. They had to._

Seconds, minutes, or even hours could have passed by, but she had lost track of time by the time she got tired to searching the beach lines. _Maybe there is a town or something on this island?_ She glanced back towards the forest, tall trees blocking any visible path. _I don't want to risk getting lost in there though…_ Lola decided to continue down the beach. _If I end up circling around, then I'll go into the forest. But if there is indeed a town or village on here, then I should manage to find a dock station or something for boats to enter…right?_

_I hope I find somebody…_

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**To be continued…**

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**Next time/Coming up:** Did the others survive the boat tipping over? What exactly did Lola see in the storm?

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**Thank you to all my favers, followers, and those who gave this story its newest reviews** (From: iilLurvePancakesii and Motherloosegoose)!** Thank you so much for the support!**

***Thank you to Demoness Kneesocks for reminding me I didn't upload yesterday. I thought I did, hahaha, but I guess I didn't. Thanks! :D**


	20. What Type of Captain are you?

**Anything Could Happen|** 3.2 – What Type of Captain are you?

**Kid's POV**

He used to be able to swim, back when he was a younger boy. Ask anybody on his home island at the time, and they'd say he was the best of the best of swimmers. He could swim for hours, there and back, with complete and utter ease. Nothing could stop him.

Until that day he stumbled across that devil fruit.

Now he can't swim for shit.

No matter how much he ordered his limbs to move while submerged in that icy water, nothing happened. He just sank, deeper and deeper and deeper. _This can't be it. I just started!_ Kid wasn't ready to die just yet. He had so much left to do. The great One Piece was waiting for him.

He still couldn't wrap his head around what exactly just happened. One moment he was in a deep sleep, and the next? The next moment he was trying to keep the boat steady in that monster of a storm. Everything had happened so fast. His crewmates were scurrying everywhere, asking _him_ what to do.

It was his job to give them orders in such situations, but he himself was in a frenzy. _What type of captain am I if I can't even keep my ship and crew together under one little storm?_ And then the boat tipped over and the only thing he could do was hold onto the ropes from the mast. It helped only a bit, but he got caught up in the ocean.

And the water pulled him down towards hungry currents.

At that moment, he felt the worst fear possible. _That's it. I'm dying. No more pirating. No more One Piece. This is the end for me._ _It's pulling me down…everything is going dark…I…I…_

The air felt rough when somebody dragged him back up. Water spilled out from his nostrils and he coughed up some more. It was hard to open his eyes. _Something has my arm._ He tried to move it, but he was so tired. _I never felt so weak…_

He was pulled towards the boat, now back in its upright position. He could hear the storm raging on above. _Is it going to tip again?_ He was pushed up against the side of the boat, his cheek gently touching its metal.

"Kid!"

His heart pounded.

"_Kid_, answer me!"

He looked up, a confused expression on his face. _What…?_

"I can't carry you up the side of the boat…I need you to move on your own." Somebody tugged his forearm up as they them self tried to scale the side of the boat. "Get out of that daze, _Captain!_"

Kid took a deep breath. _I need…to get out this water._ He used his left hand to grab onto the boat, allowing whoever dragged him out of the ocean to pull his right arm. His legs were weak, but he managed to pull them out. It felt like hours by the time he pulled himself over the railing.

"Is he okay?" somebody whispered. "He looks horrible."

"He's a devil fruit user…he's practically useless in the ocean," another voice answered. "But you need to get back to stirring the boat out of this storm, Heat! I'll take care of him."

"Of course," Heat muttered. Kid could hear soft footsteps quickly leave him.

A hand touched his forearm. He pushed it away and tried to sit up. "What…what happened?" Kid glanced up and saw Killer's blue mask and drenched blonde hair.

"You fell into the ocean when the boat fell to its side," Killer explained as he stepped aside to give Kid some room to breathe. "I jumped in to get you, since you can't…swim."

Kid nodded, too tired to give a full response. "Let's…let's just navigate out of this storm to the closest island."

"Alright," Killer said. "You should go rest in your room then. The storm seems…lighter than it just was. I'll come get you if we need you."

He liked the sound of that. Rest sounded pretty amazing right about that moment.

_Captains should rely on their crewmembers…_

* * *

It couldn't have even been an hour before Killer came barging into the room. The slamming of the door was enough to startle Kid awake. _Has the storm already gotten worse? I'm nowhere near my full potential._

The nap had proven of some use, but he still felt icky. "What?" Kid asked, pushing himself up as he watched Killer frantically look about the room.

"Fuck," Killer muttered to himself. "_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_" He ran out of the room.

Kid narrowed his stare before getting out of bed. "What's going on?" he asked when he entered the hallway. Killer ran out of the bathroom and went to the back room. _Lola's room…_

The masked man pushed the door open and slammed it after giving it a quick inspection. "Kid…have you seen her? Lola?"

"No...Why?"

"Damn it," Killer whispered.

"Did you find her yet?" Heat called out from the upper deck.

_Find her?_ "What's going on, Killer!" He grabbed his first mates arm when he tried to push past him. "Tell me!"

"_Lola!_" Killer answered sharply. "She's not on the boat!" He shook Kid's grip off of him and went for the upper deck. "We need to find her! She couldn't have…" Killer trailed off.

_Lola…? Couldn't have what?_ _Did…did she fall over?!_ Kid, now wide-eyed, followed after his crewmember. _No…no that couldn't have happened…could it?_ He went to the railing of the ship, glancing out into the ocean.

"We've already sailed away from the area when the boat tipped!" Heat yelled out from the helm. "Do you really think she fell overboard?"

"I can't find her anywhere on the ship," Killer answered slowly. "If she fell over…then…"

"…" Kid's hand gripped onto the railing. _Captains should rely on their crewmembers…and crewmembers should rely on their captains. Lola…did she drown? I just started…and…and…and I've already lost a crewmember? What type of captain am I if I can't protect them…?_ "Killer…" he muttered, voice grave. "We need to turn back around…"

"We can't!" Killer responded as he approached Kid's side. "If we sail back into the eye of that storm, _**we**_ won't make it!"

_Won't make it…_

"But…" Kid didn't know what to say. Killer was right: There was a slim chance of survival if they turned around and sailed back into the storm. At least an hour had passed since it happened. Lola surviving seemed…_impossible._ _Good captains…they'd protect those they have left? Or would they turn around and search for somebody surely dead?_

"This is my fault," Heat weakly stated, hitting the steering wheel once. "I should have paid _more_ attention…I didn't think to look for her when the boat tipped over…"

"Captain…?" Killer paused at Kid's side. "There are two islands straight ahead. One is much bigger than the other…what are your orders?"

Kid's dull gaze flickered over to the islands off in the distance. "Do you think she managed to float to one?"

"Maybe, if she was able to cling onto some wreckage. Heat said something about crates and barrels falling overboard…"

Kid nodded. "Okay…let's sail straight for the bigger Island." _I'm not going to believe she's dead…not yet, not when there is __**some**__ hope. You've only been a pirate captain for week and you've already potentially lost a crewmember. What type of captain are you, Eustass?_

* * *

**To be continued…**

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**Next time/coming up:** The crew sails to one of the islands and starts looking around with high hopes. Lola, on the smaller island, runs into a rather upset deity.

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**Thank you to all the favers, followers, and those who reviewed (**Demoness Kneesocks, and iilLurvePancakesii!) **Thank you so much for reading!**

**Questions:**

**iilLurvePancakesii:** I've been thinking about that, and to be honest, I'm not sure yet, lol. Part of me wants her to get one, but the other part isn't sure about it. I suppose, if she does get a DF, it would be towards the end of the story. As of now, I plan on ending it just after the two-year skip.

***Geniusly-Unique totally brought up a good point that I totally fucked up on the whole North, West, South, East deal. Like, Idk what was going through my head when I thought that would make sense...I guess I didn't realize I was making a huge mistake. SO, as far as you guys are concerned, Lola is from the South Blue. Heat is from the South Blue. They have always been in the South Blue and are currently traveling around in the South Blue. *shifty eyes***


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